Japan approves third nuclear plant for restart
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s nuclear regulator signed off on the basic safety of a reactor at a third nuclear plant on Wednesday, as the country inches toward rebooting its atomic industry more than four years after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
Iraqi forces say thwart Islamist attack near Ramadi
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraqi forces said they fought off an overnight attack by Islamic State militants near the city of Ramadi, which the insurgents overran at the weekend in the most significant setback for the government in a year.
Strong quake hits near Solomon Islands, no tsunami expected
SYDNEY (Reuters) – A strong earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but no tsunami was expected and there were no immediate reports of damage.
Islamic State’s Egypt affiliate urges attacks on judges: recording
CAIRO (Reuters) – Islamic State’s Egypt affiliate on Wednesday urged followers to attack judges, declaring a new front in an Islamist militant insurgency in the world’s most populous Arab state.
Malaysia, Indonesia to let ‘boat people’ come ashore temporarily
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia and Indonesia said on Wednesday they would offer shelter to 7,000 “boat people” adrift at sea in rickety boats but made clear their assistance was temporary and they would take no more.
Islamic State seizes ancient Palmyra city from Syrian forces
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Islamic State insurgents stormed the historic Syrian city of Palmyra on Wednesday, fighting off pro-government forces who withdrew after evacuating most of the civilian population, state television said.
Bin Laden fixated on attacking U.S. interests: documents
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Osama bin Laden was fixated on attacking U.S. targets and pressured al Qaeda groups to heal local rivalries and focus on that cause, according to documents the United States says were seized in his hideout in Pakistan and release…
Fighting continues near major South Sudan oilfield, U.N. asks for halt
JUBA (Reuters) – Four people were killed when two mortar bombs hit a U.N. compound and a site housing civilians in the town of Melut near South Sudan’s Paloch oilfields, and a state official said fighting between troops and rebels stretched into Wednes…
U.S. embassy in Cuba likely to operate in restrictive environment
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A new U.S. embassy in Havana is likely to operate with controls on staff travel and other restrictions similar to those on American diplomats in other countries with authoritarian governments, Washington’s chief Cuba negotiator s…
Drug plane from Venezuela crashes off the coast of Colombia
BOGOTA (Reuters) – A plane en route from Venezuela and loaded with cocaine crashed into the Caribbean Sea while being pursued by the Colombian air force, officials said on Wednesday.
