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.
China developing key aircraft to build amphibious capabilities
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese researchers are getting closer to developing a military aircraft seen as key to building the country’s amphibious capabilities, despite technical obstacles, state media reported on Wednesday.
Police torture in China still routine despite reforms – rights group
BEIJING (Reuters) – Six years after China took steps to crack down on torture by police, detainees continue to be beaten, hanged by their wrists and shackled to iron chairs, New York-based Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.
Pentagon weighs sending planes, ships near disputed South China Sea reefs
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Pentagon is considering sending U.S. military aircraft and ships to assert freedom of navigation around rapidly growing Chinese-made artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.
Indonesian court expects verdict on French death row convict in 2 weeks
JAKARTA (Reuters) – An Indonesian judge said on Wednesday a court will decide in two weeks whether to proceed with a last-ditch appeal by a French death row inmate who is challenging the president’s refusal to grant him clemency.
U.N. nuclear watchdog says can push for access to Iran military sites
VIENNA (Reuters) – The U.N. nuclear watchdog can push for access to Iranian military sites under the terms of a preliminary deal with Tehran, the head of the body told the Associated Press in an interview.
NATO says will look at what more it can do in fight against Islamic State
ANTALYA, Turkey (Reuters) – NATO foreign ministers meeting in Turkey on Wednesday will look at how the alliance can do more to fight Islamic State, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said.
Clearer security arrangement between GCC, U.S. critical to terrorism fight: Kerry
ANTALYA, Turkey (Reuters) – Defining a clearer security arrangement between Gulf countries and the United States is critical to fighting terrorism, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday.
