Red Cross calls for 24-hour ceasefire in Yemen to deliver aid
GENEVA/ADEN (Reuters) – The International Committee of the Red Cross appealed on Saturday for an immediate 24-hour halt to hostilities in Yemen to deliver life-saving medical aid into the country where it said the humanitarian situation was dire.
Police investigate suspected arson at asylum seekers’ home in Germany
HALLE, Germany (Reuters) – German police have opened an investigation into a suspected arson attack on a house in eastern Germany earmarked for asylum seekers, throwing the spotlight on a town where the mayor quit last month after a far-right protest w…
Yemen air strike kills family of nine: residents
SANAA (Reuters) – An air strike on a village near the Yemeni capital Sanaa killed a family of nine, residents said on Saturday, in what appeared to be a hit by the Saudi-led military campaign against Houthi militia.
Germanwings co-pilot increased speed as jet went down
PARIS (Reuters) – The pilot at the controls of a Germanwings jet that crashed in the French Alps accelerated the plane into the mountainside, killing all 150 people on board, according to French investigators.
Fidel Castro appears in public for first time in over a year
HAVANA (Reuters) – Former Cuban President Fidel Castro, 88, appeared in public “full of vitality” for the first time in more than a year on Monday, greeting a delegation of Venezuelans, official media reported on Saturday.
Iran eases ban on women attending sports matches
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran has partially lifted a ban on women attending men’s sports matches, the deputy sports minister said on Saturday, days after a court pardoned an Iranian-British woman who had been jailed for protesting against the law.
Senegal scraps visas for tourists, cuts tax on air fares
DAKAR (Reuters) – Senegal has scrapped visa requirements for foreign visitors and will slash taxes on air fares as it seeks to revive a tourism sector crippled by high costs and a regional Ebola outbreak.
Egyptian court begins retrial of Mubarak in corruption case
CAIRO (Reuters) – An Egyptian court began a retrial on Saturday of former president Hosni Mubarak and his sons for allegedly diverting public funds earmarked for the renovation of presidential palaces to upgrade family properties.
Ukrainian government approves framework for $15 billion debt-swap: Finance Ministry
KIEV (Reuters) – The Ukrainian government approved on Saturday the framework for Ukraine’s debt restructuring operation through which it aims to generate $15.3 billion, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
Russia’s Lavrov calls for pull-back of more weapons in Ukraine
BRATISLAVA (Reuters) – Both sides in the conflict in Ukraine could pull back weapons under 100mm caliber from the front line in a bid to boost confidence in a ceasefire, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday.
