Mali rebels refuse to initial peace accord in current form
BAMAKO (Reuters) – Mali’s rebel coalition said on Friday it was not ready to give preliminary approval to a United Nations-backed peace proposal a day after the government announced that it would.
Iran deal could stumble on sensitive nuclear monitoring
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Beefing up international monitoring of Iran’s nuclear work could become the biggest stumbling block to a final accord between Tehran and major powers, despite a preliminary deal reached last week.
Colombia FARC rebels say they cannot be judged as ‘common criminals’
HAVANA (Reuters) – Colombia’s FARC rebels cannot be submitted to the same judicial processes as “common criminals” under a possible peace deal, the Marxist group said on Friday.
U.N. wants ‘understanding’ of Western Sahara human rights situation
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for an “independent and impartial understanding” of human rights in the disputed North African territory of Western Sahara, according to a report seen by Reuters on Friday.
U.S. to triple military aid to Tunisia
TUNIS (Reuters) – The United States will increase military aid to Tunisia threefold this year and help train its troops, a senior U.S official said on Friday, weeks after the country suffered its deadliest militant attack in more than a decade.
U.S., allies conduct nine air strikes in Iraq, seven in Syria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S.-led forces targeted Islamic State militants with nine air strikes in Iraq and seven in Syria since early on Thursday, the U.S. military said on Friday.
Islamic State attacks Iraqi provincial capital
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Islamic State militants attacked the capital of Iraq’s vast Anbar province on multiple fronts on Friday, seizing two areas on the city outskirts in a setback for a government campaign to retake the desert terrain.
Pakistan court frees on bail accused mastermind of Mumbai attack: lawyer
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – A Pakistani court freed on bail on Friday a man accused of plotting a 2008 assault on India’s financial capital Mumbai that killed 166 people, his lawyer said.
U.S. targets Iran’s record on women’s rights at United Nations
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States targeted Iran’s record on women’s rights on Friday by calling a rare vote on the country’s “wholly inappropriate” bid to join the executive board of the United Nations gender equality body.
Six wounded after explosion at shopping mall on Koh Samui
BANGKOK (Reuters) – An explosion in an underground car park at a shopping mall on the popular tourist island of Koh Samui in southern Thailand wounded six people and damaged about 10 cars late on Friday, a police spokesman said.
