EU agrees Mediterranean naval mission to tackle people smugglers
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union agreed a naval mission on Monday to target gangs smuggling migrants from Libya but parts of a broader plan to deal with the influx began to unravel in a row over national quotas for housing asylum seekers.
Syrian insurgents battle army around military base in Idlib
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Heavy clashes between Syria’s army and insurgents erupted around a military base south of Idlib city on Monday as part of a wider battle for control of the northwestern province, Syrian state television and a group monitoring the war…
Greece says must strike debt deal in May as money runs low
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece needs to strike a deal with its creditors by the end of the month to stay afloat, the government said on Monday, as investors ditched Greek bonds in a sign of growing concern about possible bankruptcy.
Iran uses maritime confrontations to project power in Gulf
ANKARA (Reuters) – Iran is using its sea power in the Gulf to show it will not be cowed by Washington’s newly assertive Arab allies, prompting critics to accuse Tehran of destabilizing the region.
Bomb blasts hit pro-Kurdish HDP party in south Turkey, six wounded
ANKARA (Reuters) – Simultaneous bomb blasts hit the offices of a pro-Kurdish party in two cities in southern Turkey on Monday, three weeks before a parliamentary election, attacks which a party leader blamed on President Tayyip Erdogan.
Assad, under pressure, may need his friends more than ever
QALAMOUN MOUNTAINS, Syria/BEIRUT (Reuters) – When Lebanon’s Hezbollah first joined Syria’s war on the side of President Bashar al-Assad, its role was a closely guarded secret. Today, as Hezbollah plants its flag in land won from rebels north of Damascu…
Danish veterans accuse government of failing their Afghan interpreters
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Danish military veterans have accused their government of breaking its promise to grant asylum to all local interpreters who helped the country’s soldiers during their deployment in Afghanistan.
Indian nurse dies four decades after being sodomized and left in a coma
NEW DELHI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – A 66-year-old Indian nurse, who was sexually assaulted and left in a vegetative state for more than 40 years, died on Monday, in a case that sparked national debate over the legalization of euthanasia.
U.S., allies conduct 25 air strikes in Iraq, Syria: task force
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and its allies conducted 25 air strikes since early on Sunday targeting Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq, the Combined Joint Task Force carrying out the operations said.
Kerry says U.S. and China discuss further sanctions on North Korea
SEOUL (Reuters) – The United States and China are discussing imposing further sanctions on North Korea, which is “not even close” to taking steps to rein in its nuclear weapons program, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday.
