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…
North Korea to launch live-fire drills near disputed sea border with South
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea notified the South of its plan to conduct live-fire drills this week near a disputed sea border, the scene of deadly clashes in recent years, the South’s military said on Wednesday.
Turkey probes alleged links in army with U.S.-based cleric, defense minister says
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A Turkish military prosecutor has opened an investigation into allegations that a U.S.-based Islamic preacher has sympathizers within the armed forces, Defence Minister Ismet Yilmaz told the state-run Anadolu news agency on Wednesd…
Gunmen kill seven in attack on Muslim council in Afghan south: police
LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Gunmen opened fire on a gathering of Afghan Muslim clerics in the southern province of Helmand, killing seven people, police said on Wednesday.
Yemen truce broadly holds, but reports of violations
CAIRO (Reuters) – A five-day humanitarian truce in Yemen appeared to be broadly holding on Wednesday, despite reports of some air strikes overnight by Saudi-led forces and continued actions by the country’s dominant Houthi group in the east.
Iran says Saudi-led forces cannot inspect Yemen-bound ship
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran will not allow Saudi-led naval forces to inspect a cargo ship bound for Yemen under military escort, foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said, in a challenge to the kingdom’s control of Yemeni waters.
