U.S. Navy’s Fort Worth LCS ship suffers gear damage in Singapore
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The USS Fort Worth, a new coastal warship built by Lockheed Martin Corp for the U.S. Navy, suffered damage to its combining gears while the ship was in port in Singapore, the Navy said on Thursday, citing an apparent crew error.
Japan lifts nuclear sanctions on Iran
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan on Friday lifted sanctions on Iran, falling in line with major world powers after the United Nations atomic energy agency confirmed last weekend that Tehran had fully taken steps to curb its disputed nuclear program.
South Korea’s Park seeks 5-party talks on North’s nuclear program
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean President Park Geun-hye called on Friday for a meeting of five countries, excluding North Korea, to discuss the North’s nuclear program alongside long-stalled “six-party talks” that include Pyongyang.
Murder rate climbs in Mexico, while other crimes fall
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Murders in Mexico jumped nearly 9 percent last year, their first increase in four years, as President Enrique Pena Nieto struggles to make good on his election pledge to end the country’s drug violence.
Wife of U.S. pastor imprisoned in Iran hopes to reunite, rebuild marriage
BOISE (Reuters) – Naghmeh Abedini is looking forward to reuniting next week with her husband, Saeed, the Iranian-American pastor freed on Saturday after more than three years in an Iranian prison.
Militant attacks in Asia inject new urgency into U.S. bomb training
CHA’AM, Thailand (Reuters) – A major Asian city is rocked by a car bomb as VIPs arrive for a summit. Nearby, a man on a motorbike detonates his suicide vest. People gather, emergency crews arrive – then a third explosion rips through the crowd.
Two Americans held in Iran arrive home after prisoner swap
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (Reuters) – A Christian minister and a former U.S. Marine who were released by Iran in a prisoner swap returned to the United States on Thursday after years behind bars in the Islamic Republic.
Obama, Merkel discuss aid for Syrian refugees: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the refugee crisis in Europe during a phone call on Thursday and agreed an upcoming donors’ conference in London would be a chance to galvanize global efforts o…
U.N. draft calls for 12-month mission to verify Colombia peace deal
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Members of the United Nations Security Council on Thursday received a draft of a resolution that calls for establishing a U.N. mission to oversee disarmament should Colombia’s government and leftist FARC rebels reach a final …
Vice President Biden, Iraq’s Abadi discuss Turkish troop issue: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Thursday discussed the urgency of mobilizing international support to stabilize the city of Ramadi, which the government recently retook from Islamic State…
