Russian pollster pulls pre-election research over closure fears
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s only major independent pollster, the Levada Center, said on Tuesday it had stopped publishing polls about the forthcoming presidential election because it feared the authorities might shut it down for perceived meddling.
Days after Hawaii alert gaffe, Japan issues false alarm about a missile launch
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese public broadcaster NHK issued a false alarm about a North Korean missile launch on Tuesday, just days after a similar gaffe caused panic in Hawaii, but it managed to correct the error within minutes.
Pope expresses ‘pain and shame’ over Chile sex abuse scandal
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Pope Francis expressed his “pain and shame” over Chile’s sexual abuse scandal on Tuesday in his first comments in the country on a crisis that has scarred the Roman Catholic Church’s credibility.
Palestinians see Gaza peace dividend pass them by
GAZA (Reuters) – Life began to look up for Gaza’s Palestinians when reconciliation between its Hamas Islamist rulers and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority in October brought a drop in crippling prices.
Russian, Iranian foreign ministers discuss Syria and Iran nuclear deal
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed the conflict in Syria and the Iran nuclear deal in a phone conversation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
Kosovo Serb leader shot dead in northern town
PRISTINA (Reuters) – Kosovan Serb leader Oliver Ivanovic, who was standing trial over the killings of ethnic Albanians during the 1998-99 war, was shot dead outside his party office in the northern town of Mitrovica on Tuesday, a state prosecutor said….
Now Japanese TV issues false alarm about a missile launch
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese public broadcaster NHK issued a false alarm about a North Korean missile launch on Tuesday, but it corrected the error within minutes, messages on the NHK website showed.
Erdogan says Turkish operation in Syria’s Afrin to be supported by rebels
ANKARA (Reuters) – President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey’s planned military operation against Kurdish militia forces in Syria’s Afrin region will be supported by Syrian rebel fighters.
Iran says planned U.S.-backed force inside Syria would fan war
LONDON (Reuters) – Iran said on Tuesday a new U.S.-backed, 30,000-strong force inside Syria would “fan the flames of war”, echoing the vehement response of Syria, Turkey and Russia to the plan.
U.S. report detailing new Russia sanctions to be issued on Jan. 29: TASS
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A U.S. report detailing new sanctions against Russia will be published on Jan. 29, the TASS news agency cited U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman as saying on Tuesday.
