McCain calls on Pentagon to clarify South China Sea patrol
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The chairman of the influential U.S. Senate Armed Services committee has called on the Pentagon to clarify publicly the legal intent of a U.S. patrol last month within 12 nautical miles of an island China has built in the South C…
Spanish court to hear government appeal vs Catalan secession move: media
MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s Constitutional Court has agreed to hear the government’s appeal against Catalonia’s declaration of intent to start building a separate republic, suspending any secession process in legal terms, Spanish media reported on Wedne…
Ex-head of Italy’s famed Montecassino abbey in fraud investigation
ROME (Reuters) – The former head of the world famous Roman Catholic Benedictine abbey of Montecassino, which was destroyed in World War Two and rebuilt, is under investigation on suspicion of embezzlement, police said on Wednesday.
Russian sports minister Mutko pledges new anti-doping action
SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) – Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko on Wednesday pledged his country would adopt new measures to clamp down on doping including devising new testing methods and possibly opening criminal cases against athletes suspected of ch…
Sri Lanka scraps security firm’s deals on running floating armories
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lankan President Maitripala Sirisena on Wednesday revoked all deals by a private security firm related to running “floating armories”, a government spokesman said, the latest move in a scandal which has brought down a government…
Myanmar army, president endorse Suu Kyi victory, vow stable transition
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar President Thein Sein and the powerful army congratulated democratic champion Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday, after her party trounced the ruling camp in the first free election in 25 years and was closing in on an absolute maj…
UAE officer denies Yemen civilian deaths caused by air power
DUBAI (Reuters) – The head of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) air force on Wednesday dismissed charges that Arab coalition air power caused regular civilian casualties in Yemen’s war, saying warplanes used precision weapons and raids needed multiple app…
Croatia’s likely kingmaker wants all key parties in new government
ZAGREB (Reuters) – The head of Croatia’s new reformist party, which is likely to hold the balance of power in forming a new government, said on Wednesday it wanted a government of national unity that included itself and the two major parties.
U.N. rights experts urge Iran to release journalists
GENEVA (Reuters) – United Nations human rights investigators called on Iran on Wednesday to cease arresting, harassing and prosecuting journalists and other activists to pave the way for free debate ahead of parliamentary elections in February.
Slovenia putting up fence along border with Croatia to control migrant flow
LJUBLJANA/VELIKI OBREZ, Slovenia (Reuters) – Slovenia began erecting a razor wire fence along parts of its border with Croatia on Wednesday, saying it wanted better control over a tide of migrants flowing through the tiny country en route to other area…
