Japan to offer $810 million to support refugees fleeing Syria, Iraq: NHK
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan, which accepted just 11 asylum seekers out of 5,000 applications last year, will provide about $810 million in aid in response to refugees fleeing Syria and Iraq, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday.
Iran’s Rouhani: Assad government in Syria ‘can’t be weakened’
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday fighting radical militants like Islamic State in Syria is the top priority and if they are to be defeated then President Bashar al-Assad’s government “can’t be weakened.”
Attack on Afghan cricket match kills nine, wounds over 50
KABUL (Reuters) – A suicide car bombing killed at least nine people and wounded more than 50 at a cricket match in Afghanistan on Sunday, officials said.
Iran denounces Saudi Arabia over haj and demands apology
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran demanded an apology from Saudi Arabia on Sunday over the deaths of 769 people at the haj pilgrimage and accused it of trying to evade blame, while Riyadh in turn accused Tehran of playing politics with the disaster.
Italy’s Berlusconi says Crimea split from Ukraine was democratic
ROME (Reuters) – Four-time Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Sunday the Crimean people had made a democratic choice to split from Ukraine and hailed Russian President Vladimir Putin as the world’s greatest political leader.
Feted in China, Xi’s U.S. profile dims in shadow of pope
BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – On Friday morning, Chinese President Xi Jinping enjoyed the symbolic high point of his first state visit to the United States – a 21-gun salute as he stood with President Barack Obama outside the White House.
Victorious Catalan separatists claim mandate to break with Spain
BARCELONA (Reuters) – Separatists on Sunday won a clear majority of seats in Catalonia’s parliament in an election that sets the region on a collision course with Spain’s central government over independence.
Russia seizes initiative in Syria crisis; France bombs Islamic State
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Russia appeared to seize the initiative in international efforts to end the conflict in Syria on Sunday as Washington scrambled to devise a new strategy for the war-ravaged country and France sent warplanes to bomb Islamic St…
Rouhani says beating Syria militants is priority, not government reform
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday fighting radical militants like Islamic State in Syria is the top priority and if they are to be defeated then President Bashar al-Assad’s government “can’t be weakened.”
Dalai Lama remains in U.S. clinic for health check: official
(Reuters) – Tibet’s exiled Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, on Sunday remained at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for evaluation following a medical visit his office said was a routine annual check-up.
