News In Brief

Greek election campaign hit by migrant crisis
AFP, Athens
The migration wave lapping at Europe’s door has hit Greece’s election campaign, with mainstream parties struggling for a solution as the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party waits in the wings hoping to capitalise on voter anger.
But much like the European Union, which is battling to come up with a unified response, the two leading contenders for Greece’s Sunday vote — leftist Alexis Tsipras and conservative Vangelis Meimarakis — are offering little by way of an answer for the future.

Japan protests after ‘Russian’ plane enters airspace
AFP, Tokyo
Japan has lodged a protest with Russia after scrambling four jet fighters to intercept a foreign aircraft — believed to be Russian — which briefly violated its airspace, officials said Wednesday.
The foreign ministry made the protest shortly after the plane entered Japanese airspace off the northernmost main island of Hokkaido, near a disputed island chain, on Tuesday afternoon.

Protest shuts Indian Kashmir
AP, Srinagar
The mysterious killing of three young men in conflict-wracked India-held Kashmir has prompted protesters to call a general strike in the region.
Indian government forces patrolled deserted streets Wednesday in the Srinagar, where businesses, shops and schools were closed.