Malaysia orders probe after protest forces church to take down cross
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia has ordered an investigation into a protest by Muslim demonstrators who forced a small church in the capital to take down its cross, the latest sign of growing religious tension in the multiracial Southeast Asian natio…
Sudan won’t give visas to U.S., British, French envoys: diplomats
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Khartoum has so far declined to issue visas for senior U.S., British and French diplomats hoping to conduct a fact-finding mission in Sudan’s conflict-torn Darfur region, U.N. diplomatic sources told Reuters on Tuesday.
Japan MPs visit shrine as Abe hopes to meet China’s Xi in Jakarta
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese ruling and opposition lawmakers visited a Tokyo shrine on Wednesday to honor the country’s war dead, shortly before Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was due to make an important speech on Japan’s war-time past at an international su…
Obama says U.S. has warned Iran not to send weapons to Yemen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama said on Tuesday the U.S. government had sent “very direct messages” to Iran warning it not to send weapons to Yemen that could be used to threaten shipping traffic in the region.
Saudis end air campaign in Yemen, seek political solution
DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday it was ending a month-long campaign of air strikes against the Houthi rebels who seized large areas of Yemen and said it would back a political solution to bring peace to its war-ravaged neighbor.
Sudan won’t give visas to US, British, French envoys: diplomats
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Khartoum has so far declined to issue visas for senior U.S., British and French diplomats hoping to conduct a fact-finding mission in Sudan’s conflict-torn Darfur region, U.N. diplomatic sources told Reuters on Tuesday.
Colombia frees Chinese ship caught carrying weapons illegally
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia has authorized a Chinese ship to set sail after it was caught carrying 100 tonnes of explosives to Cuba illegally, the prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday, though it continues to hold the vessel’s captain pending a criminal …
U.S. senators call for humanitarian safe zones in Syria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican and Democratic U.S. senators called on President Barack Obama on Tuesday to create and enforce humanitarian safe zones in Syria, amid international concerns about the dire conditions faced by millions of people displac…
Saudi-led coalition announces end to Yemen operation
DUBAI (Reuters) – The Saudi-led coalition bombing Yemen for almost a month announced on Tuesday the end to its military operation, but a Saudi spokesman said forces would continue to target the Iran-allied Houthi movement as necessary.
Honeymoon over for Indonesian leader as U-turns erode authority
DENPASAR, Indonesia (Reuters) – When Indonesian President Joko Widodo wanted to push this year’s budget through the opposition-dominated parliament, he left it to his advisers to hash out a deal with lawmakers.
