With Africa trip, Turkey’s Erdogan aims to quash influence of Islamic cleric
ANKARA (Reuters) – When Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan visits Uganda and Kenya this week, he will be seeking not only to increase trade but to stamp out the influence of an Islamic cleric whose network was long an instrument of Turkey’s soft power in…
Bahrain court orders activist freed on humanitarian grounds
DUBAI (Reuters) – A court in Bahrain has ordered the release of a prominent activist, the state news agency BNA said on Tuesday, citing the well-being of Zainab al-Khawaja’s one-year old son who lived in the prison with her.
Savchenko hailed in Ukraine parliament, berates ‘lazy schoolchildren’ lawmakers
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukrainian servicewoman Nadiya Savchenko, whose resistance to her imprisonment in Russia has made her a national hero and a potentially disruptive force in Ukrainian politics, received a standing ovation in her first address to parliame…
China to ‘pressure’ U.S. on maritime issues, paper says
BEIJING (Reuters) – China will “pressure” the United States on maritime issues at talks in Beijing next week because of Chinese concern about an increased U.S. military presence in the disputed South China Sea, a major state-run newspaper said on Tue…
Myanmar’s Suu Kyi to lead new effort on restive Rakhine State
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi will lead a new effort to bring peace and development to Rakhine State where violence between majority Buddhists and minority Muslims in recent years has cast a cloud over progress on democratic reforms.
In void left by Iraqi state, turf war partitions northern town
TUZ KHURMATO, Iraq (Reuters) – In some places, the line dividing this town in northern Iraq takes the form of blast walls and barricades that bring its run-down streets to an abrupt end.
Turkey officially designates Gulen religious group as terrorists
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – President Tayyip Erdogan officially designated the religious movement of U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen a terrorist group and said he would pursue its members whom he accuses of trying to topple the government.
German foreign minister says unclear if Russia sanctions will be renewed
BERLIN (Reuters) – German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Tuesday it was no secret that some EU states were skeptical about extending sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis and it was unclear if the 28-nation bloc would deci…
Pakistani prime minister undergoes open heart surgery in London
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif underwent open heart surgery in a London hospital on Tuesday, his second cardiac procedure in five years, his daughter said.
U.N. agency says Syria Kurds block civilians fleeing near Aleppo
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Civilians fleeing an Islamic State offensive in northwestern Syria have been prevented by Syrian Kurdish authorities from entering areas under their control in response to rebel shelling of a Kurdish-held area of Aleppo, the United N…
