U.S.-led coalition launches 14 air strikes against Islamic State: task force
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and its coalition partners staged 14 air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq since early Monday, according to the Combined Joint Task Force leading the operations.
Pope approves legal framework for financial reform
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis approved detailed new plans to reform Vatican finances on Tuesday, giving the Australian cardinal leading the changes sweeping powers to monitor Vatican departments and ensure budgets conform to international accou…
Nobel Peace Prize chairman demoted, first time in 114-year history
OSLO (Reuters) – The committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize demoted its chairman on Tuesday, for the first time in the 114-year history of the award after his right-wing opponents won a majority on the prestigious panel.
U.S. envoy to Yemen to work from Jeddah after embassy’s closure
MONTREUX, Switzerland (Reuters) – The U.S. ambassador to Yemen will track Yemeni events from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia following last month’s closure of the U.S. embassy in Sanaa, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday.
Nigeria’s Boko Haram releases beheading video echoing Islamic State
ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram released a video purporting to show it beheading two men, its first online posting using advanced graphics and editing techniques similar to footage from Islamic State.
Ukraine says return of Crimea a must for mending ties with Russia
TOKYO (Reuters) – No normalization of ties between Ukraine and Russia is likely unless the region of Crimea, now under Russian control, is returned to Kiev’s sovereignty, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said on Tuesday.
Syrian rebels reject U.N. envoy’s ceasefire plan
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Syrian rebels dealt a blow to a U.N. envoy’s proposal for a ceasefire in the northern city of Aleppo as his team headed there on Tuesday, saying the plan would only benefit the Syrian government at the expense of the opposition.
Russians stand in line to mourn by coffin of slain Nemtsov
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Thousands of Russians, many carrying red carnations, on Tuesday filed past the coffin of Boris Nemtsov, the Kremlin critic whose killing last week, friends say, showed the hazards of speaking out against Russian President Vladimir Pu…
U.N. Security Council sets up South Sudan sanctions regime
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday established a sanctions regime for South Sudan but stopped short of imposing worldwide travel bans and asset freezes on officials in the conflict-torn country or an arms embargo.
North Korea warns U.S. about pre-emptive strike ‘if necessary’
GENEVA (Reuters) – North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong said on Tuesday that his country had the power to deter an “ever-increasing nuclear threat” by the United States with a pre-emptive strike if necessary.
