Australian police say operation underway at Sydney Opera House
SYDNEY (Reuters) – A police operation was underway at the Sydney Opera House on Thursday, police said, with at least one ferry leaving the area canceled and media reporting that people were being cleared away from the site.
Mexico to grant transit visas to Cuban migrants
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico on Wednesday said it plans to grant 20-day transit visas to a group of 180 Cubans who were chosen from thousands stranded in Costa Rica to continue on their long journey toward the United States.
Hollywood’s Sean Penn lied about ‘Chapo’ trafficking claim: lawyer
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Hollywood star Sean Penn lied when he reported that Mexican kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman told him he is the world’s foremost drugs trafficker, and he should be called to testify, one of Guzman’s lawyers said on Wednesday.
South Korea, China defense officials to discuss North Korea test: Yonhap
SEOUL (Reuters) – Defence officials from South Korea and China will meet on Friday to discuss North Korea’s latest nuclear test, the Yonhap news agency reported, after the South and the United States put pressure on China to rein in its neighbor.
Special U.S. targeting force ‘now in place’ in Iraq: U.S.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A new U.S. force of special operations troops has arrived in Iraq and is preparing to work with Iraqi forces to go after Islamic State targets, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Wednesday.
White House urges Beijing, Taipei to avoid Taiwan election tensions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House called on Taiwan and China on Wednesday to avoid an escalation of tensions from elections in Taiwan on the weekend expected to be won by the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Iran frees U.S. sailors swiftly as diplomacy smoothes waters
DUBAI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Iran freed ten U.S. sailors on Wednesday a day after detaining them aboard two U.S. Navy patrol boats in the Gulf, bringing a swift end to an incident that had rattled nerves shortly before the expected implementation of a …
Peruvian drug lord freed from prison, slams Fujimoris
LIMA (Reuters) – A notorious former Peruvian cocaine kingpin who was released from prison after 22 years on Wednesday criticized Keiko Fujimori’s run for president and said the Andean country became a “narco-state” during her father’s 1990-2000 governm…
South Korea calls for ‘bone-numbing’ sanctions on North for nuclear test
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea warned North Korea on Wednesday that the United States and its allies were working on sanctions to inflict “bone-numbing pain” after its latest nuclear test, and urged China to do its part to rein in its isolated neighbor….
Australia knocks back Washington over more help against Islamic State
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia on Thursday said that it had denied a request from the United States for a greater military commitment against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq made in the wake of the November attacks in Paris that killed 130 peop…
