As deadline looms, Kerry says U.S. in no rush to get Iran deal
VIENNA (Reuters) – The United States and other major powers are not in a rush to reach a nuclear deal with Iran, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday, suggesting an accord was unlikely hours ahead of a deadline set by the U.S. Congress f…
Greece sends reform plan to EU, sets parliament vote
ATHENS/FRANKFURT (Reuters) – The Greek government sent a package of reform proposals to its euro zone creditors on Thursday in a race to win new funds to avert bankruptcy and will seek a parliamentary vote on Friday to endorse immediate actions.
Rights groups urge U.S. to reconsider Malaysia human-trafficking rating
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Human rights groups and some U.S. lawmakers urged the U.S. government on Thursday to reconsider plans to upgrade Malaysia from the lowest tier on its list of worst human trafficking hubs, citing a lack of evidence that Malaysia h…
Exclusive: Japan interested in joining NATO missile consortium
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan is interested in joining a NATO missile building consortium that would give Tokyo its first taste of a multinational defense project, a move the U.S. Navy is encouraging because it could pave the way for Japan to lead similar pa…
Taiwan’s China-friendly KMT mimics Chiang Kai-shek’s fall from pedestal
TAOYUAN, Taiwan (Reuters) – Dumped outside Chiang Kai-shek’s mausoleum in Taiwan are nearly 200 unwanted statues of the Nationalist Party hero, a suggestion of the punishment his party faces in January elections for pushing the self-ruled island too cl…
U.S. spy agency tapped German chancellery for decades: WikiLeaks
BERLIN (Reuters) – The U.S. National Security Agency tapped phone calls involving German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her closest advisers for years and spied on the staff of her predecessors, according to WikiLeaks.
U.N. says Yemen’s warring factions agree to humanitarian truce
DUBAI/SANAA (Reuters) – Yemen’s warring factions confirmed their agreement on Thursday to a temporary humanitarian ceasefire set to begin on Friday night, United Nations envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said.
New Yemeni al Qaeda leader calls for attacks on United States
DUBAI (Reuters) – The new leader of al Qaeda’s Yemen branch has called for attacks on the United States in his first speech since taking command, the U.S.-based SITE monitoring group reported on Thursday, citing an audio recording.
12 migrants drown, 500 rescued in Mediterranean off Libya
ROME (Reuters) – Twelve migrants died on Thursday when their overcrowded rubber dinghy sank off the coast of Libya, the Italian Coast Guard said, while some 500 were rescued in the latest episodes in the Mediterranean migrant crisis.
Syrian army says it’s closing in on Islamic State in Palmyra
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian army said on Thursday it was closing in on Islamic State militants in control of Palmyra, in a major offensive to recapture the city of Roman ruins from the jihadists.
