Quake in rural China kills six, damages thousands of homes
BEIJING (Reuters) – A strong earthquake hit a rural part of China’s far western Xinjiang region on Friday, killing at least six people, injuring dozens and destroying or damaging thousands of homes, the government and state media said.
Colombia capital on edge after two small explosions
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Two small bombs exploded in Bogota, Colombia’s capital, on Thursday afternoon, injuring seven, according to the defense minister, who said he would deploy greater numbers of military and police onto the streets in response to the “te…
Israeli officer kills stone-throwing Palestinian youth in West Bank
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – A senior Israeli army officer shot and killed a Palestinian youth who was throwing stones near a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank on Friday, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.
Afghanistan targets US defense contractors in row over back taxes
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan is threatening to crack down on U.S. defense contractors it says owe hundreds of millions of dollars in back taxes, including by freezing their bank accounts and refusing to renew yearly business licenses when they expire….
EBRD to invest up to $1 billion in Ukraine in 2015 if reforms made
KIEV (Reuters) – The head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said it plans to invest up to around $1 billion in Ukraine this year, including in the gas sector, provided real reforms are implemented.
U.N. says Burundi did not hold fair election, human rights violated
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Burundi’s parliamentary elections on Monday were not fair or free and human rights were violated, the United Nations said on Thursday.
U.S. seeing rapid expansion of Sunni outreach at new Anbar base
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is seeing signs that new efforts to draw Sunni tribesmen into Iraq’s battle against Islamic State may be taking root at a military base near the fallen capital of Sunni-dominated Anbar province, U.S. officials s…
Forced labor shows back-breaking lack of reform in Myanmar military
BUTHIDAUNG, Myanmar (Reuters) – In the fertile river valleys near Myanmar’s border with Bangladesh, stateless Rohingya Muslims say there is no let-up in soldiers forcing them into hard labor, despite the government launching a campaign three years ago …
U.S. calls for Ramadan pause in Yemen conflict
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department on Thursday called for a “humanitarian pause” in the conflict in Yemen during Ramadan.
India’s push to save its cows starves Bangladesh of beef
GHOJADANGA, India/DHAKA (Reuters) – Some 30,000 Indian soldiers guarding the border with Bangladesh have a new mandate under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government this year – stop cattle from crossing illegally into the Muslim-majority neighbor.
