Turkish police detain 20 in Istanbul raids targeting PKK: Anadolu
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish police detained 20 suspects, including lawyers, in an operation involving raids across Istanbul targeting the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, the state-run Anadolu Agency said on Wednesday.
Philippine presidential frontrunner Poe favors free trade pacts
MANILA (Reuters) – Senator Grace Poe, frontrunner in the Philippines’ presidential election in May, said on Wednesday she was in favor of signing free trade agreements with other countries if elected.
Argentina coast guard sinks Chinese trawler fishing illegally
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina’s coast guard has sunk a Chinese trawler that was fishing illegally within its territorial waters, the coast guard said on Tuesday, marking a first test for relations between President Mauricio Macri and Beijing.
Russian warplanes leave Syria, raising U.N. hopes for peace talks
MOSCOW/BEIRUT/GENEVA (Reuters) – Russian warplanes flew home from Syria on Tuesday as Moscow started to withdraw forces that have tipped the war President Bashar al-Assad’s way, and the U.N. envoy said he hoped the move would help peace talks in Geneva…
Corruption revelations overshadow Lula’s planned return in Brazil
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s efforts to bolster her government amid a storm of corruption allegations by naming her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to her cabinet were overshadowed on Tuesday by a barrage of fresh acc…
Palestinians rethink routines to avoid Israeli suspicions
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Drive cautiously and if pulled over do not argue with the police. Dress lightly, even in cold weather. Never whip your cellphone out of your pocket. And think twice before blurting out in Arabic the phrase “God is Greater”.
Mumbai dance bars to reopen amid worries trafficking of women may rise
MUMBAI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – After a 10-year hiatus, dance bars are set to reopen in Mumbai and Maharashtra state with activists warning women and girls could be trafficked and abused in these venues but bar owners arguing this is legitimate, …
Better protection needed for older women at risk of violence: campaigners
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Violence and abuse of older women is often going unchecked, the lack of data and effective legislation leaving them at risk, campaigners said on Wednesday as they called on the United Nations for stronger action to…
UK’s Osborne aims to keep austerity on track as EU referendum nears
LONDON (Reuters) – British finance minister George Osborne will try to get his austerity drive – and his own political ambitions – back on track on Wednesday, without upsetting voters before the nation’s EU membership referendum.
Morocco says to cut U.N. Western Sahara mission after Ban remarks
RABAT (Reuters) – Morocco’s government said on Tuesday it would cut staff at the United Nations’ Western Sahara mission and threatened to pull out of United Nations peacekeeping missions after “unacceptable” comments by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-mo…
