Papua New Guinea releases asylum seekers during day only
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Papua New Guinea has relaxed restrictions on nearly 900 asylum seekers held on behalf of Australia, allowing them to leave the detention center during the day, a lawyer said on Thursday, but a rights group dismissed the move as “wind…
China, Taiwan add tourists to their squabbles
BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) – China and Taiwan have added tourism to their bones of contention since the pro-independence opposition swept to power in January elections, trading accusations about who is to blame for a decline in Chinese visitors to the se…
Debris in South Africa, Mauritius ‘almost certainly’ from missing MH370
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Two pieces of debris discovered in South Africa and the Mauritian island of Rodrigues are almost certainly from the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 jetliner, Malaysia’s transport ministry said on Thursday.
Freeing child soldiers in Central African Republic: ‘They have been through hell’
DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Benoit Daoundo is a child protection officer who works for the United Nations children’s agency (UNICEF) to help release children from armed groups in Central African Republic.
Australia defends U.S. in latest South China Sea dispute
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia backed the United States on Thursday in its so-called freedom of navigation operation close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea, a patrol China has denounced as an illegal threat to peace.
U.S., Britain, France block Russia bid to blacklist Syria rebels
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Britain, the United States, France and Ukraine blocked a Russian proposal at the United Nations to blacklist Syrian rebel groups Jaish al-Islam and Ahrar al-Sham for links to Islamic State and al Qaeda militants, diplomats sa…
Earthquake shakes Guadalajara, Mexico: emergency services
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – A 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook Mexico’s second most populous city Guadalajara on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said, but there were no immediate reports of major damage.
Georgia begins U.S.-led military exercise, angering Russia
TBILISI (Reuters) – The Georgian army began two weeks of military exercises with the United States and Britain on Wednesday, drawing an angry response from former Soviet master Russia which called the war games “a provocative step”.
Suicide bomber kills eight, wounds senior army commander in Yemen attack
ADEN (Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed eight people and wounded a senior army commander in an attack on his convoy in eastern Yemen on Wednesday, President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s state-run news agency reported.
Ukraine, Russia agree some security measures: Germany
BERLIN (Reuters) – Ukraine and Russia agreed on Wednesday to create demilitarized zones and implement other security measures in separatist-held areas of eastern Ukraine, but they remained at odds over how to move toward local elections.
