U.S. confirms drone strike killed al Shabaab leader in Somalia
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An unmanned U.S. aircraft that unleashed Hellfire missiles at a vehicle in Somalia earlier this week killed a leader of the al Shabaab militant group, dealing a setback to its ability to carry out anti-government attacks, the Pen…
Cuban blogger says husband freed, other activists still detained
HAVANA (Reuters) – A prominent opposition blogger in Cuba said her husband was freed by the authorities overnight but several dissidents were still in custody on Wednesday, a day after they were arrested in a move that drew condemnation from the United…
Russia’s Putin praises Crimea’s ‘return home’ in New Year address
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised New Year’s address on Wednesday that the “return home” of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula to Moscow’s control would forever remain an important chapter in Russia’s history.
Bosnian indicted over recruiting militants for Syria and Iraq
SARAJEVO (Reuters) – A Bosnian court indicted a Muslim priest on Wednesday for recruiting people to fight for the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, using a new law aimed at stopping people traveling to fight alongside militants in the Middle East….
Retired Afghan leader meets, advises successor ‘almost daily’
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan’s retired president, Hamid Karzai, meets his successor almost every day and advises him on key policy issues, he said in an interview, a role that could raise concerns in the West over ties with Kabul.
U.S.-led forces launch 10 air strikes in Syria, Iraq
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S.-led coalition launched seven air strikes in Syria and three in Iraq on Wednesday against Islamic State militants, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement.
Libya containing Es Sider oil fire but export resumption in question
BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) – Libya has made progress containing a fire at its largest oil port that has destroyed four days of the country’s oil production but the damage to storage tanks will hamper efforts to resume exports, officials and industry ins…
Syria Kurds control 70 percent of besieged Kobani: monitor
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Kurdish forces have regained control of around 70 percent of the Syrian town of Kobani near the Turkish border after pushing back Islamic State fighters that have spent months besieging it, a group monitoring the war said on Wednesda…
Tunisian secular leader Essebsi sworn in as new president
TUNIS (Reuters) – Veteran politician Beji Caid Sebsi was sworn in as Tunisian president on Wednesday, giving the country a democratically elected leader four years after an uprising ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali.
Iran says new U.S. sanctions violate spirit of nuclear talks
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran criticized the latest U.S. sanctions on nine targets who Washington says have helped Tehran avoid existing sanctions or commit human rights abuses, saying they contravened the spirit of international talks on Iran’s nuclear progr…
