Italian minister says painting NGOs as migrant traffickers is a lie
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s justice minister said on Thursday it was “a lie” to paint humanitarian ships saving migrants in the Mediterranean as criminals, responding to a Sicilian prosecutor who has repeatedly suggested some are colluding with Libyan smu…
Pope to visit Egypt as Copts face Islamic State campaign
ISMAILIA, Egypt (Reuters) – Karam Nassif fled his home in Egypt’s North Sinai this year after his name appeared on a Christian hit-list circulated by Islamic State. Fearing for their safety after this month’s twin church bombings, his family now wants …
Philippines says completes scientific survey in disputed sea
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines has completed an 18-day scientific survey in the South China Sea to assess the condition of coral reefs and draw a nautical map of disputed area, a top security official said on Thursday.
Syria’s Assad says Israel ‘supporting terrorists’ by striking his army
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in a Venezuelan television interview broadcast on Thursday that Israeli military strikes on his army showed Israel was “supporting terrorists” in Syria, state-run Syrian media reported.
Jets bomb two hospitals in Syria’s Idlib: medics, witnesses
AMMAN (Reuters) – Jets believed to be Russian or Syrian hit two hospitals in rebel-held Idlib province on Thursday following several other strikes on medical facilities in northwestern Syria in recent weeks, residents, medical workers and activists sai…
Iran’s Rouhani defends his economic record before May election
ANKARA (Reuters) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani defended his economic record on Thursday, three weeks ahead of Iran’s presidential election, and called for further engagement with other countries as the key to economic growth.
Exclusive: U.N. criticizes Myanmar plan to resettle Rohingya in ‘camp-like’ villages
YANGON (Reuters) – The United Nations’ refugee agency has criticized a Myanmar government plan to resettle Rohingya Muslims displaced by recent violence in “camp-like” villages, saying it risks stoking tensions, according to a document seen by Reuters….
‘End the injustice’ pleads Venezuelan official’s son over unrest
CARACAS (Reuters) – The son of Venezuela’s pro-government human rights ombudsman has surprised the country amid major protests against the leftist administration by publicly urging his father to “end the injustice.”
Armed British police arrest man with knives near May’s office
LONDON (Reuters) – Armed British police officers arrested a man carrying knives near Prime Minister Theresa May’s office in London on Thursday on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism.
‘Xenophobic’ German soldier, student suspected of planning attack
BERLIN (Reuters) – German police have arrested an army officer whom they described as having xenophobic views and another man who was found with explosives on suspicion they were planning to attack an as-yet unidentified target, prosecutors said on Thu…
