U.S.-led coalition targets Islamic State with 16 air strikes: statement
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and its allies have conducted 16 air strikes since early on Tuesday targeting Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq, the Combined Joint Task Force carrying out the operations said on Wednesday.
North Korea executes defense chief with an anti-aircraft gun: South Korea agency
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea executed its defense chief by putting him in front of an anti-aircraft gun at a firing range, Seoul’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers, which would be the latest in a series of high-level purges since Kim Jong …
Top German spy says no evidence of industrial espionage by the U.S.
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s domestic intelligence agency (BfV) has no evidence that the United States carried out industrial espionage in Europe, its chief said on Wednesday.
France’s Sarkozy accused of pandering to racist sentiments
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s ruling Socialists accused conservative former president Nicolas Sarkozy on Monday of appealing to racist sentiments in criticizing the country’s Morocco-born education minister.
China to increase video surveillance in security push
BEIJING (Reuters) – China will ensure that all key public areas are covered with video surveillance cameras by 2020 to fight crime and ensure social stability, the government said on Wednesday, part of a broader push to step up security in response to …
Slipper factory fire kills 31, dozens missing in Philippine capital
MANILA (Reuters) – A fire at a Philippine rubber slipper factory killed 31 workers on Wednesday and dozens were missing and feared dead, government and fire officials said.
Iraqi refinery may be destroyed in battle to save it
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Islamic State militants have dug trenches around natural gas and hydrogen tanks at Iraq’s largest refinery, raising the stakes in a battle where the price of victory may be the refinery itself.
NATO plans for civilian-led mission in Afghanistan once current mission ends
ANTALYA, Turkey (Reuters) – NATO foreign ministers agreed on Wednesday to keep a civilian-led mission in Afghanistan after its current training operation ends, including a military component, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.
Asia boatpeople pushed back to sea as U.N. calls for rescue
BANGKOK/JAKARTA (Reuters) – Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia will continue to push boats holding thousands of migrants back to sea, a senior Thai official said on Wednesday, despite a U.N. appeal for a rapid rescue operation to avoid a humanitarian cri…
Accused ‘flash crash’ trader seeks release from custody
LONDON (Reuters) – The British trader fighting extradition to the United States on charges of having contributed to the 2010 “flash crash” on Wall Street will go to London’s High Court next week to seek his release from custody, his lawyer said on Wedn…
