Political prisoners, Chinese loggers among thousands freed in Myanmar amnesty
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar freed some political prisoners and 155 Chinese citizens jailed for illegal logging in an amnesty for nearly 7,000 people on Thursday, a move that could ease diplomatic tensions with influential neighbor China.
Shelling in eastern Ukraine kills four civilians, soldier
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists accused each other on Thursday of shelling civilian areas near the rebel-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine despite a ceasefire, with four civilians and one soldier killed.
Germany’s Schaeuble wants to rebalance EU Commission’s role
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s finance minister wants to correct the balance between the European Commission’s political role and its regulatory powers, reflecting concern in Berlin over the EU executive’s neutrality as its political clout grows.
Israel’s secret-keeper seeks censorship reform
TEL AVIV (Reuters) – Sima Vaknin-Gill may be Israel’s last chief military censor. And she makes no secret of welcoming that.
China, Russia to hold military drills in Sea of Japan
BEIJING (Reuters) – China and Russia will hold joint naval and air defense drills in the Sea of Japan, China said on Thursday, the latest exercises between the two countries which could concern Japan, involved in a marine dispute with China to the sout…
Ex-KGB agent’s radioactive poisoning may have harmed Londoners: inquiry
LONDON (Reuters) – An unknown number of Londoners might have been put at risk by the 2006 poisoning of ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko with a radioactive isotope, which amounted to “a nuclear attack on the streets” of the British capital, an inquiry …
China says U.S. ‘militarizing’ South China Sea
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Defence Ministry on Thursday accused the United States of “militarizing” the South China Sea by staging patrols and joint military drills there, ramping up the rhetoric ahead of a key regional security meeting in Malaysia ne…
Greek PM suggests party referendum to overcome split in Syriza
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Thursday called for his Syriza party to hold an emergency congress next month to overcome divisions but said a snap party referendum would be acceptable if leftist dissenters wanted a quicker so…
African hunting dreams collide with Cecil the lion protests
AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – Hunters longing to shoot big game in the African wild may choose a different target after public backlash against a Minnesota dentist who killed Zimbabwe’s Cecil the lion just outside a national wildlife preserve.
Nigeria, Cameroon vow to step up cooperation against Boko Haram
YAOUNDE (Reuters) – The leaders of Nigeria and Cameroon pledged on Thursday to improve the exchange of intelligence and security cooperation along their border in a bid to tackle Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram.
