Philippine rice farmer killed as drought protest turns violent: demo leader
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine police opened fire as a protest by thousands of rice farmers who lost their crops turned violent on Friday, killing one and wounding about a dozen, a leader of a farming group said.
Exclusive: Egypt blocked Facebook Internet service over surveillance – sources
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Egypt blocked Facebook Inc’s Free Basics Internet service at the end of last year after the U.S. company refused to give the Egyptian government the ability to spy on users, two people familiar with the matter said.
Obama reaffirms commitment to Turkey’s security as Erdogan visits
WASHINGTON/ANKARA(Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Turkey’s security during a meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, while also discussing both countries’ efforts to fight Islamic State, the W…
Abbas says curbing Palestinian attacks, offered to meet Netanyahu
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday he was working to stop Palestinian knife attacks and other street violence against Israel and had offered to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to rekindle peace eff…
Philippine senator tops opinion polls after court ruling on eligibility
MANILA (Reuters) – A woman abandoned in a central Philippine church when a baby has topped an opinion poll barely two months ahead of elections to succeed President Benigno Aquino, an independent pollster said on Friday.
El Salvador seeks to block prison cell phones to beat crime crisis
SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) – El Salvador is proposing to order telephone companies to block cell phone signals inside prisons where a state of emergency has been declared, in order to prevent gang leaders from ordering murders or extortions while incarcera…
China calls Obama, Xi talks ‘constructive’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China said talks on Thursday between President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama were constructive, even as the two sides remained far apart on the South China Sea and U.S. missile defense plans for South Korea.
Cow bells in the DMZ: Swiss, Swedish generals uphold Korean truce their way
PANMUNJOM, South Korea (Reuters) – In a tiny mess hall set amid pine trees and rose bushes on the heavily fortified Korean border, a lunch of steak and asparagus is served. Outside, birdsong competes with the drone of North Korean loudspeakers blaring …
Brazil’s Rousseff gets relief from Supreme Court, supporters
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled on Thursday to take a corruption investigation into former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva away from a crusading federal judge, as pro-government protests across the country eased pressure on Presid…
Xi says China will defend its South China Sea sovereignty
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China is resolute in defending its sovereignty in the South China Sea, and believes the disputes should be settled peacefully by relevant claimants through direct talks, Xinhua said…
