Some Pakistan militants denounce school attack, amid national outrage
PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) – As Pakistanis unite in grief over the killings of 132 schoolchildren by the Pakistani Taliban, several other militant groups have been quick to condemn the carnage too.
Kenya security law approved despite disruptions in parliament
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenya’s parliament approved new anti-terrorism laws on Thursday after chaotic scenes in which opposition legislators, citing a threat to civil liberties and free speech, threw books at the Speaker, shouted, chanted and sprinkled wat…
Islamic State fight to take at least three years: U.S. general
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The general in command of U.S. forces involved in the fight against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria said on Thursday he thought it would take a minimum of three years to achieve a turning point against the group.
Ukrainians dig deep to help soldiers on the eastern front
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukrainians are knitting socks, donating scrap metal and even crowd-funding a tank to keep their woefully underfunded army going as its standoff with pro-Russian rebels in the east drags on toward the new year.
U.S. weighs response to Sony hacking attack blamed on North Korea
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States was considering possible options on Thursday in response to a major cyber attack on Sony Pictures blamed on North Korea, amid calls for tougher sanctions on Pyongyang to cut it off from the global banking system…
‘Another Wall falls’: Europe hails U.S.-Cuba breakthrough
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Twenty-five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall reunited Europe, the European Union hailed a “historic turning point” in the Caribbean with the renewal of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States.
U.S., Cuba restore ties after 50 years
HAVANA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and Cuba agreed on Wednesday to restore diplomatic ties that Washington severed more than 50 years ago, and President Barack Obama called for an end to the long economic embargo against its old Cold War e…
U.N. members want North Korea in international court for rights abuses
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Member countries of the United Nations on Thursday urged the Security Council to consider referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity as alleged in a U.N. inquiry report release…
Israel raps Palestinian U.N. draft as ‘gimmick’
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel’s foreign minister on Thursday described as a gimmick a Palestinian-proposed U.N. Security Council draft resolution that calls for a peace deal within a year and an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories by the en…
U.N. appeals for $8.4 billion for humanitarian relief to Syrians
BERLIN (Reuters) – The United Nations launched its biggest ever humanitarian appeal for Syria on Thursday, seeking $8.4 billion after only securing about half the funding it asked for in 2014.
