In new year message, China’s Panchen Lama praises religious policy
BEIJING (Reuters) – A youth named by China as the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism, but reviled as a fake by many Tibetans, has praised the Communist Party’s religious policies in Tibet in a lunar new year message, saying they made him feel “v…
Stateless Rohingya refugees sucked into booming Bangladesh drug trade
LEDA, Bangladesh (Reuters) – Rohingya Muslim refugee Ali Hasan is desperately looking for a bride for his 14-year-old son, jailed last year in Bangladesh for carrying the popular drug ya ba. He hopes the girl’s family would pay the $620 needed for Moha…
Islamic State forced Philippine nurses to give medical training in Libya
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – A Philippine nurse held by Islamic State in the Libyan city of Sirte said on Monday that she and her colleagues had been forced to treat militants and give them medical training.
U.S., Japan, South Korea explore ways to restrict Pyongyang weapons funding
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senior officials from the United States, South Korea and Japan discussed ways to further restrict funding for North Korea’s weapons programs during talks in Washington on Monday, the countries said in a joint statement.
Turkey jails reporter from Germany’s Die Welt paper: court witness
ISTANBUL/BERLIN (Reuters) – Turkish authorities on Monday arrested a reporter for a prominent German newspaper on charges of propaganda in support of a terrorist organization and inciting the public to violence, according to a court witness.
U.N. to vote Tuesday on Syria sanctions despite Russia veto pledge
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council is set to vote on Tuesday on a bid by Western powers to ban the supply of helicopters to the Syrian government and to blacklist Syrian military commanders over accusations of toxic gas attacks, despi…
Egypt deports top Palestinian official on arrival at Cairo airport
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian airport security denied entry to a senior Palestinian official on Monday and deported him, sources at Cairo airport said.
Thousands protest deal offering wider use of Albanian language in Macedonia
SKOPJE (Reuters) – Several thousand people protested in Skopje against an agreement that would ensure the wider use of the Albanian language in the ethnically divided state.
Egypt’s parliament expels lawmaker critical of human rights record
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s parliament on Monday kicked out a prominent legislator with a reputation for being critical of the government because he allegedly “belittled” the assembly in correspondence with foreign organizations.
France’s disillusioned farmers turn to Le Pen
Plesse, France (Reuters) – France’s presidential pretenders will this week make mandatory campaign stops at the annual Paris farm fair as polls show farmers increasingly tempted by the far-right’s Marine Le Pen when they even bother to vote at all.
