Islamic State suicide attack kills 38 Iraqi policemen
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Islamic State militants drove a tank rigged with explosives into a base south of the Iraqi city of Samarra on Monday, killing 38 policemen, military and police sources said.
Open Gaza border hinges on end to rocket fire: German foreign minister
GAZA (Reuters) – Germany’s foreign minister said during a visit to Gaza on Monday that any opening of the enclave’s borders and economic recovery from last year’s devastating war hinged mainly on ensuring no more rockets are fired at Israel.
Russia dismisses EU criticism of travel blacklist
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia criticised the European Union on Monday for allowing the publication of a list of European officials barred from entering the country in the diplomatic fallout over the Ukraine crisis.
Egyptian court adjourns Al Jazeera journalists trial to Thursday
CAIRO (Reuters) – A Cairo court on Monday adjourned the trial of three Al Jazeera television journalists for four days after hearing the prosecution’s closing argument that their reporting had endangered Egypt’s national security.
Ally of Germany’s Merkel: Britain’s EU treaty change plan is unrealistic
LONDON (Reuters) – An ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday it would be unrealistic for British Prime Minister David Cameron to expect to achieve changes to European Union treaties before the country holds a referendum on its membershi…
Stung by FIFA furor, Qatar’s soft power at risk
DOHA (Reuters) – “It will blow over” tends to be Qatar’s unofficial response to criticism of its World Cup bid, but with a FIFA corruption scandal exploding onto the world’s front pages, the Gulf state has glumly realized it may have a real fight on it…
In Mazar, Afghans enjoy life as fighting draws near
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters) – It is late afternoon and slivers of sunlight stream in through an exhaust fan, cutting through multicolored strobe lights and shisha smoke in a basement karaoke club, one of more than a dozen in the northern Afgh…
Russia wants precise wording for U.N. resolution on Libya human smugglers
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia said on Monday any U.N. Security Council resolution allowing for the use of force in the Mediterranean to stop gangs smuggling migrants must define the powers of an EU naval mission precisely to win Moscow’s backing.
Qatar sues French far-right official for attacks comment
PARIS (Reuters) – Qatar said on Monday it was suing a senior member of France’s far-right National Front who accused it of funding Islamist extremism in the days after January’s deadly attacks in France on a satirical magazine and Jewish foodstore.
Thousands of tonnes of Yemen food aid diverted by fighting: U.N. officials
ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Thousands of tonnes of food aid for war-ravaged Yemen have been diverted from the port of Aden because of heavy fighting there, U.N. officials said on Monday.
