Strong quake rattles Indonesia’s Sumatra, no damage reported
PADANG, Indonesia (Reuters) – An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 shook buildings and caused momentary panic in the Indonesian port city of Padang on Thursday, officials and residents said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injury.
U.S.-backed forces open major front in Syria war
WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) – Thousands of U.S.-backed fighters opened a major new front in Syria’s war, launching an offensive to drive Islamic State out of a swathe of northern Syria it uses as a logistics base and appearing to make swift initial ba…
Libyan forces lose 10 men in clashes with Islamic State near Sirte
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libyan brigades aligned with a new U.N.-backed government in Tripoli lost 10 men and had another 40 wounded in fighting close to the Islamic State stronghold of Sirte on Wednesday, a hospital spokesman said.
Al Shabaab car bomber strikes hotel in Somali capital, at least 15 dead
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – A suicide car bomber crashed into a gate outside a hotel frequented by lawmakers in the center of the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Wednesday and the attack was followed by gunfire, killing 15 people, police said.
South China Sea set to dominate Singapore security summit
SINGAPORE/HONG KONG (Reuters) – Roiling tensions in the South China Sea are set to dominate Asia’s biggest security summit starting in Singapore on Friday, exposing a deepening rivalry between the United States and China ahead of a landmark legal rulin…
U.N. chief recommends adding 2,500 peacekeepers to Mali mission
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked the Security Council to add just over 2,500 peacekeepers to the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, which has been hit by a series of deadly attacks, according to a new U….
Osborne, Darling slam Brexit proposals as unworkable, dangerous: Telegraph
EDINBURGH (Reuters) – Britain’s economy minister and his predecessor have teamed up to accuse those campaigning to leave the European Union of having dangerous plans with no proper economic basis, homing back in on the economics of an increasingly bitt…
Canada raises detainee case with China, presses on human rights
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada on Wednesday pressed China about a Canadian citizen charged with spying and also raised the need to improve human rights around the world, Foreign Minister Stephane Dion said.
Burkina Faso arrests six over deadly militant attack in January
OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) – Authorities in Burkina Faso have arrested six people suspected of involvement in a militant attack in January claimed by al Qaeda’s regional branch in which 32 people were killed at a cafe and hotel in the capital.
Norway helicopter crash investigators issue safety warning on Airbus Super Puma gearbox
OSLO (Reuters) – Norwegian investigators looking into the cause of a fatal North Sea helicopter crash have sent a recommendation to European air safety authorities about a possible safety issue with the model’s gearbox, they said on Wednesday.
