Turkish tanks pound Kurdish militants in week-long military campaign
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) – Turkish tanks on Tuesday pounded Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) targets in Cizre, a southeastern town at the heart of a military operation that the army said has killed 127 Kurdish militants in a week.
Prominent China rights lawyer convicted but avoids jail
BEIJING (Reuters) – A court convicted one of China’s most prominent rights lawyers on Tuesday of “inciting ethnic hatred” with posts criticizing the government, handing down a suspended sentence that means he avoids jail but will not practise law again…
U.S. imposes Ukraine-related sanctions on 34 individuals, entities
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on 34 individuals and entities as part of its efforts to pressure Russia for its intervention in Ukraine, the U.S. Treasury Department said.
U.N. blames Saudi-led coalition for most attacks on Yemeni civilians
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that a Saudi-led coalition’s military campaign in Yemen appeared to be responsible for a “disproportionate amount” of attacks on …
Saudi Arabia sentences writer to four years in jail, travel ban
DUBAI (Reuters) – A Saudi tribunal has sentenced a writer who called for political reform to four years in prison and barred him from appearing in the media for 15 years, his family and Saudi media reported.
Central African rebel leader drops opposition to polls
N’DJAMENA (Reuters) – A rebel leader in Central African Republic, who declared an autonomous state in territory under his control this month, said on Tuesday he has dropped his opposition to pivotal elections set for this weekend.
French police foil attack in Orleans: Interior Minister
TOULOUSE, France (Reuters) – Police have prevented two men from carrying out an attack on police and army personnel in the central French city of Orleans, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Tuesday.
Tanzanian president suspends rail chief pending probe into tender
DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) – Tanzanian President John Magufuli has suspended a senior rail official and ordered an investigation into possible irregularities in the awarding of a tender to build a standard gauge railway line, his office said on Tuesday.
U.N. says planning for Syria talks toward end of January
GENEVA (Reuters) – The United Nations envoy on Syria, Staffan de Mistura, plans to convene peace talks in Geneva in about a month’s time, a senior U.N. official said on Tuesday.
France drops plans to strip dual nationality in terrorism cases
PARIS (Reuters) – The French government has dropped plans announced shortly after the Nov. 13 Islamic State attacks on Paris to strip dual citizens of their French nationality in terrorism cases, a minister said on Tuesday.
