Iraq’s new premier battles to unite a fractured nation
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Three months after he took office with a mission to unite his broken, warring country, Iraq’s new prime minister has swept away the divisive legacy of his predecessor with a burst of rapid and dramatic measures.
Three Israelis charged with torching Jerusalem Arab-Jewish school
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Three Israelis from a far-right group were charged on Monday with setting fire to a classroom in an Arab-Jewish school that has been a symbol of co-existence in Jerusalem.
Sultan’s absence raises worries over Oman succession
DUBAI (Reuters) – Looking frail, Oman’s Sultan Qaboos appeared on television last month to reassure his people about his health. But after a long absence abroad for medical treatment, many Omanis are worried that their childless leader has no publicly …
China demotes 1,000 officials with family abroad in graft fight
BEIJING (Reuters) – Authorities in China have demoted about 1,000 government officials with relatives abroad who refused to return home, state media said on Monday, in the latest clamp down in a sweeping anti-corruption campaign.
Indian pro-Islamic State Twitter account back up as police seek clues
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – A popular pro-Islamic State Twitter account traced to an Indian engineer was back up on Monday as police combed through tens of thousands of followers to identify sympathizers of the militant group.
French police arrest 10 people in suspected jihadist network
PARIS (Reuters) – Anti-terrorism police arrested 10 people across France on Monday in a sweep aimed at disrupting a suspected jihadist network sending young fighters to Syria, the Paris prosecutors’ office said.
Iranian support seen crucial for Yemen’s Houthis
SANAA (Reuters) – Iran has supplied weapons, money and training to the Shi’ite Houthi militia that seized Yemen’s capital in September, as Tehran steps up its regional power struggle with Saudi Arabia, Yemeni and Iranian officials say.
Islamist group criticizes Egypt over arrest warrant for cleric
DOHA (Reuters) – A group of Islamist scholars criticized Egypt on Monday for seeking an Interpol arrest warrant for their leader, a Qatar-based cleric whose outspoken support for the Muslim Brotherhood contributed to a diplomatic rift between Gulf Arab…
Abe coalition secures big Japan election win with record low turnout
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, brushing aside suggestions that a low turnout tarnished his coalition’s election win, vowed on Monday to stick to his reflationary economic policies, tackle painful structural reforms and pursue his…
Hong Kong police clear last pro-democracy protest sites
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong authorities arrested several pro-democracy activists on Monday as they cleared the last of three protest sites, marking the closure of demonstration camps in the city that have blocked streets for more than two months.
