Ousting of Myanmar party chief had ‘chilling effect’: U.S. official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The recent unseating of the chief of Myanmar’s ruling party had a “chilling effect” on the political climate in the Southeast Asian country and was a reminder of the “bad old days” of military dictatorship, a senior U.S. diplomat…
Cuba to free 3,522 prisoners ahead of Pope Francis’ visit
HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba on Friday pardoned 3,522 common prisoners in what it called a humanitarian gesture ahead of next week’s visit by Pope Francis, repeating similar actions it took ahead of two previous papal visits.
U.S.-Venezuela rapprochement rocked by Lopez sentence
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela accused the United States on Friday of jeopardizing a nascent rapprochement between the two ideological foes with “insolent” criticism of a 14-year jail sentence handed to opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.
Nuclear test ban treaty body head wants pact to enter into force
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The head of the body that oversees a treaty to ban nuclear testing worldwide said on Friday he hopes signatories will soon find a way to end a two-decade stalemate that has prevented the pact from entering into force.
Exclusive: Iran to take Parchin military site samples with IAEA present – diplomats
PARIS/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – United Nations inspectors will be present with Iranian technicians as they take samples from a key military site, two Western diplomats said, undercutting an objection by U.S. Republicans to the nuclear deal between Ira…
Egypt says it has killed 98 militants in Sinai operation
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian security forces have killed 98 militants in Sinai during a recent military operation, the military said on Friday.
Bombs in northeast Nigeria kill at least 12
YOLA, Nigeria (Reuters) – A bomb at a camp for people who have fled Boko Haram and a suicide attack on a bus station killed at least 12 people in northeast Nigeria on Friday, officials said.
No political prisoners seen on list of pardoned Cuban inmates
HAVANA (Reuters) – None of the 3,522 prisoners pardoned by the Cuban government on Friday appear to be political prisoners, according to a Reuters review of a list of political prisoners published by the dissident Commission of Human Rights and Nationa…
Greece’s Syriza heads pre-election polls, but lead unclear
ATHENS (Reuters) – Opinion polls on Friday put the leftist Syriza party of former Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras ahead by margins ranging from wafer-thin to its widest yet as elections draw near.
Pakistani party accuses paramilitary force of extrajudicial killings
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – A Pakistani party that has long dominated politics in the commercial hub of Karachi accused the powerful paramilitary Rangers on Friday of illegally murdering four party workers on Thursday.
