China offers to mediate in stalled Afghan Taliban peace talks
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – China offered on Thursday to mediate in stalled efforts to engage the Afghan Taliban in peace negotiations, reflecting its desire to play a more active role in a region it sees as part of its sphere of influence.
Labor’s lost Green voters could tip UK election to Conservatives
BRIGHTON, England (Reuters) – Britain’s resurgent Greens are threatening the Labor Party’s hopes for election victory in May even though the leftist environmentalists will probably capture no new parliamentary seats and could even lose the only one the…
Al Qaeda fighters seize Yemen army base, U.N. warns of civil war
ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) – Al Qaeda-linked fighters seized a large army base in a dawn attack in southern Yemen on Thursday, militants and residents said, hours after the United Nations warned that the country was on the brink of civil war.
Toxic orange cloud spreads after chemical blast near Barcelona
MADRID (Reuters) – Three people were injured in an explosion at a chemical plant in northern Spain on Thursday and authorities advised residents of several small towns near Barcelona to stay indoors as a large toxic cloud spread over the area.
U.S.-led forces launch 12 air strikes in Iraq, three in Syria: U.S.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S.-led forces hit Islamic State targets in Iraq with 12 air strikes and three air strikes in Syria since Wednesday, the U.S. military said.
Democracy under way, Tunisia turns to tough economic agenda
TUNIS (Reuters) – Just two days after confidently promising economic reforms to match Tunisia’s transition to democracy, new Prime Minister Habib Essid was forced to say he would roll back a new tax after police shot dead a man protesting it.
EU expected to re-impose sanctions on Iranian oil tanker firm
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union governments are expected to agree later on Thursday to put the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), Iran’s biggest tanker company, back on a list of sanctioned firms, EU diplomats said.
Turkey’s Erdogan proposes building mosque in Cuba
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has proposed to Cuba the construction of a mosque on the Caribbean island during a visit to Havana, pushing ahead with a plan apparently inspired by his belief that Muslims discovered the Americas.
U.N. urges Europe to start major migrant rescue mission in Mediterranean
GENEVA (Reuters) – The European Union (EU) must establish a full-scale search-and-rescue operation to avoid more tragedies involving migrants in the Mediterranean, the United Nations’ chief refugee official said on Thursday.
Korean Air chief’s daughter gets one-year jail term in ‘nut rage’ case
SEOUL (Reuters) – A South Korean court sentenced the daughter of Korean Air Lines’ chairman to one year in prison, after finding her guilty over an on-board incident in New York concerning the way she was served nuts in first class.
