Australia, Philippines negotiating asylum seeker transfer deal
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia is negotiating a deal with the Philippines to transfer asylum seekers being held indefinitely in controversial detention centers on remote, impoverished islands, Australia’s immigration minister said on Friday.
U.N. proposes unity government for Libya’s warring factions, Tripoli balks
SKHIRAT, Morocco (Reuters) – The United Nations proposed a national unity government to Libya’s warring factions on Thursday to end their conflict, but the deal faces resistance from Tripoli’s self-declared rulers and hardliners on the ground.
Malaysia arrests lawyer critical of PM Najib
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian police have arrested and detained the lawyer of a local politician who has been calling for U.S. law-enforcement authorities to probe an international financial scandal involving Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Guinea president vows to hold vote, street clashes erupt
CONAKRY (Reuters) – Guinea’s President Alpha Conde said on Thursday he had no plans to postpone this weekend’s election, dismissing an opposition request, as supporters of rival parties clashed in the capital.
Yemeni president dismisses Houthi concessions as ‘maneuver’
DUBAI/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Yemen’s government dismissed as a “maneuver” on Thursday the Houthis’ acceptance of a U.N.-sponsored peace plan and demanded that the Iran-backed group hand back territory it has seized since last year.
U.N. proposes national unity government for Libya’s warring factions, obstacles remain
SKHIRAT, Morocco (Reuters) – The United Nations on Thursday proposed to a national unity government to Libya’s warring factions meant to end their conflict, but any deal must overcome resistance from hardliners and pass a vote in their rival parliament…
Pope Francis, anti-nuclear activists among Nobel Peace Prize contenders
OSLO (Reuters) – Pope Francis and a line-up of anti-nuclear campaigners headed lists of favorites to win the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize on the eve of Friday’s announcement.
U.N.’s Ban rejects calls to keep refugee chief amid crisis
UNITED NATIONS/GENEVA (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has disregarded a request from a large number of member states to keep the U.N. high commissioner for refugees in his job for an extra year to cope with the worsening refugee crisis, …
Beirut protest turns violent, politicians postpone talks
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese security forces fired tear gas and water canon to break up an anti-government protest in Beirut on Thursday, and the country’s fractious leaders postponed talks aimed at resolving a political crisis that is feeding public di…
EU gets tough on expelling migrants, talks to neighbors
LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) – European Union governments agreed on Thursday to step up deportations of illegal immigrants and discussed creating an EU border force among measures to cope with hundreds of thousands of refugees from Syria’s civil war.
