Heavy shelling rocks fragile ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh
BAKU/YEREVAN (Reuters) – Azerbaijan and its rebel Nagorno-Karabakh region accused each other on Friday of violating a ceasefire with intense shelling, a sign that the two-decade-old conflict which has left some 30,000 people dead is far from a peaceful…
Iraq Shi’ite militia leader’s convoy attacked, two guards wounded: TV
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The convoy of the leader of one of Iraq’s main Shi’ite militias, Aws al-Khafaji, came under attack and two of his guards were wounded, Baghdad-based Afaq TV reported on Friday.
EU stands ready to help Greece financially over migrant crisis: commissioner
ATHENS (Reuters) – The European Union is ready to support Greece financially to deal with a growing migrant crisis that is testing the country to its limits, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Christos Stylianides said on Friday.
Philippines rejects talks with militants for release of captives
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines will not negotiate with Islamist militants demanding ransom within a month for the release of three foreign men and a Filipino woman kidnapped from a beach resort nearly six months ago, a military spokesman said on Fr…
China must further purge energy sector of Zhou scandal ‘poison’, former top official says
BEIJING (Reuters) – China needs to further purge its oil industry of the “poison” of disgraced security chief Zhou Yongkang to ensure healthy development that lets the sector compete internationally, a former top energy executive said on Friday.
‘Hearts are in pieces’ five years after tsunami hits Japan
RIKUZENTAKATA, Japan (Reuters) – Japan on Friday mourned the thousands who lost their lives in a massive earthquake and tsunami five years ago that turned towns to matchwood and triggered the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.
Russia expects Syrian government to attend Geneva peace talks next week
MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Bashar al-Assad’s government has said its delegates will attend peace talks on the Syrian conflict due to start in Geneva next week, Russia’s foreign ministry said on Friday.
Three years on, pope leaves Catholic conservatives feeling marginalized
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Three years after the election of Pope Francis, Roman Catholic conservatives are growing increasingly worried that he is quietly unraveling the legacy of his predecessors.
China able to project ‘substantial offensive power’ from Spratlys in months: U.S.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China will be able to project “substantial offensive military power” from artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea’s disputed Spratly Islands within months, the director of U.S. national intelligence said.
U.N. accuses South Sudan forces of campaign of rape and killing
GENEVA (Reuters) – South Sudan’s government operated a “scorched earth policy” of deliberate rape, pillage and killing of civilians during the civil war in 2015, a report published on Friday by the U.N. human rights office said.
