Colombian rebels threaten to end unilateral truce
HAVANA (Reuters) – Colombia’s Marxist-led FARC guerrillas on Thursday threatened to end a unilateral truce that has been in place since December unless the government of President Juan Manuel Santos calls off military attacks on rebel positions.
Saudi Arabia stops business visas to Swedes in diplomatic row
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia has refused to issue any business visas to Swedes, Stockholm’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, in the latest move in a diplomatic row over Swedish criticism of Riyadh’s human rights record.
With ‘no-state’ pledge, Netanyahu reignites Palestine debate
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The day before Israel’s election, with polls showing he could lose, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the Palestinians would never have a state on his watch.
Armenian soldiers killed in clashes with Azeri troops near Karabakh
YEREVAN/BAKU (Reuters) – At least three Armenian soldiers were killed and four wounded in clashes with troops from Azerbaijan on Thursday near the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, but the two sides gave conflicting death tolls and disputed who was to…
Planes flying over Yemen president’s Aden base come under fire
ADEN (Reuters) – Anti-aircraft guns opened fire at an unidentified warplanes flying over the presidential palace in the southern city of Aden on Thursday after sounds of two explosions were heard, witnesses said.
ICC should prosecute Islamic State for Iraq genocide, war crimes: U.N.
GENEVA (Reuters) – The United Nations said on Thursday Islamic State forces may have committed genocide in trying to wipe out the Yazidi minority in Iraq as well as war crimes against civilians including children.
Taliban suicide bomber kills Afghan regional police chief in Kabul
KABUL (Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed an Afghan provincial police chief in Kabul, a regional official said on Thursday, the latest killing to be claimed by Taliban insurgents in a wave of attacks coinciding with the sharp drawdown of foreign troops…
PM dismisses ‘French Patriot Act’ fears as spies get more powers
PARIS (Reuters) – French spy agencies will have more powers to bug and track would-be Islamist attackers and authorities will be able to force Internet providers to monitor suspicious behavior under a draft law unveiled on Thursday.
Mexico sees fall in violence, despite drug war: index
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Falling homicide rates and dwindling levels of violent and organized crime across Mexico have seen the country become increasingly peaceful over the past four years and boosted its economy, a thinktank said on Thur…
‘Made in France’ rebel ex-minister joins Habitat
PARIS (Reuters) – Arnaud Montebourg, the leftist former economy minister who led a “made in France” campaign to promote French-made goods, was named on Thursday vice-president for innovation of Habitat furniture group outside Britain.
