Saudi king orders payout to state employees, reshuffles cabinet
RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s new King Salman ordered a lavish payout to all state employees on Thursday and reshuffled some top government jobs while keeping in place the oil, foreign, finance, defense and interior ministers.
Wife of flogged Saudi blogger says his health is worsening
OTTAWA (Reuters) – The wife of a Saudi rights activist, sentenced last year to 1,000 lashes for criticizing the Kingdom’s clerics in his blog, said on Thursday her husband’s health had worsened after the first round of flogging and that he could not su…
Iran says nuclear talks with Europeans ‘promising’ but no progress
ANKARA (Reuters) – Iran said talks with France, Germany and Britain on Thursday on its nuclear program were “promising” but more work was needed to settle the 12-year standoff, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Greece says Dijsselbloem visit will kick off debt talks
ATHENS (Reuters) – This week’s visit to Athens by the head of the euro zone finance ministers’ group will mark the start of Greece’s negotiations on changing the conditions of its international bailout accord, the finance ministry said in a statement.
Under-reported conflicts seen affecting millions in 2015
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – While wars in Syria, Iraq and Ukraine make headlines in the West, around 30 other conflicts receive little press coverage, and the resulting lack of pressure for change could have serious implications for millions …
Israel, Hezbollah signal their flare-up is over
JERUSALEM/BEIRUT (Reuters) – Israel and Hezbollah signaled on Thursday their rare flare-up in fighting across the Israel-Lebanon border was over, after the Lebanese guerrillas killed two Israeli troops in retaliation for a deadly air strike in Syria la…
United Nations to launch inquiry into deaths of Mali protesters
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday he would launch an inquiry into the deaths of three protesters in northern Mali, who witnesses said were killed when peacekeepers opened fired to disperse the demonstration….
Violence in Baghdad suburbs kills 21: sources
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – At least 21 people, mostly civilians, were killed on Thursday in the outskirts of Baghdad by explosions at five separate locations and a shooting, security and medical sources said.
UK summons Russian ambassador after military aircraft disrupt civil aviation
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain summoned the Russian ambassador on Thursday and asked him to explain why two Russian “Bear” long-range bombers had flown over the English channel the previous day, a move that forced British authorities to divert civil aircra…
Italy lawmakers fail to elect president in first vote
ROME (Reuters) – Italian lawmakers failed to elect a state president in the first round of voting on Thursday, with no candidate coming close to the required threshold of two thirds of those eligible to vote.
