Rich countries urged to take 5 percent of Syrian refugees: TRFN
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Rich countries should agree to take at least 5 percent of all Syrian refugees by the end of 2015, aid agencies said as pressure mounts ahead of a major conference on the crisis.
Myanmar men plead not guilty to murder of British tourists
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Two Myanmar workers have pleaded not guilty to charges including murder over the killing of two British tourists in Thailand, their lawyer said on Monday, in a case that has hit tourism and attracted widespread criticism.
Methamphetamine use soars in Iran as lifestyles speed up
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Women in headscarves and men in tatty clothes puff on a glass pipe as smoke swirls around their faces. The pictures published by Iranian media and blogs in recent months are a sign of a new drug epidemic: shishe, or methamphetamine.
Japan PM Abe’s LDP on track for landslide in December 14 vote: media
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling party is on track for a landslide victory in a Dec. 14 election and could take a two-thirds majority in the lower house of parliament even without its coalition partner, a media projection s…
Mexico says evidence proves missing students were incinerated
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico said on Sunday that mounting evidence and initial DNA tests confirmed that 43 trainee teachers abducted by corrupt police 10 weeks ago were incinerated at a garbage dump by drug gang members, although forensic experts sou…
Congo’s Kabila names new government in bid to broaden political base
KINSHASA (Reuters) – Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila announced the formation of a new government on Sunday in a shake-up apparently aimed at broadening his political base ahead of a possible constitutional showdown.
Israel strikes near Damascus: Syrian TV
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian state television said on Sunday that Israeli jets had bombed areas near Damascus international airport and in the town of Dimas, near the border with Lebanon.
Six Guantanamo prisoners fly to Uruguay for resettlement
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Six men held for more than a decade at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, were flown to Uruguay for resettlement on Sunday, the latest step in a slow-moving push by President Barack Obama’s administration to close …
Thirteen killed in failed U.S. hostage rescue bid in Yemen
SANAA/ADEN (Reuters) – A woman, a 10-year-old boy and a local al Qaeda leader were among at least 11 people killed alongside two Western hostages when U.S.-led forces fought Islamist militants in a failed rescue mission in Yemen, residents said on Sund…
Typhoon-hammered Philippines in ‘fight for our survival’: TRFN
LIMA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The Philippines has long experience coping with flooding and typhoons, including building warning and evacuation systems – but those measures may not be enough to cope with the worsening impacts of climate change, the country’s climate chief warned.
