Islamic State in Syria abducts at least 150 Christians
AMMAN (Reuters) – Islamic State militants have abducted at least 150 people from Assyrian Christian villages in northeastern Syria they had raided, Christian Syrian activists said on Tuesday.
Pope Francis’ Mexico remark not meant to offend, Vatican says
ROME (Reuters) – A remark by Pope Francis to the effect that he hoped his homeland Argentina could avoid “Mexicanization” was not intended to offend Mexicans or to undervalue the government’s efforts to fight drug trafficking, the Vatican said on Wedne…
Few UK Muslims have sympathy for Paris attack motives, most oppose violence: poll
LONDON (Reuters) – One in four British Muslims say they have some sympathy with the motives behind the attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo but the vast majority think attacks on those who publish images of the Prophet Mohammad are wrong, …
China ejects spy chief from group of advisers: Xinhua
BEIJING (Reuters) – China has dropped one of its espionage chiefs from a high-profile panel of advisers, official news agency Xinhua said on Wednesday, after the ruling Communist Party announced he was being investigated for corruption.
China convicts 81-year-old writer who criticized propaganda chief
BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese court on Wednesday sentenced an 81-year-old writer to jail on a charge of illegal business after he criticized the ruling Communist Party’s propaganda chief in online essays, but the sentence was suspended, his lawyer said…
Aquino urges autonomy for Philippine Muslims despite misgivings
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Benigno Aquino called on Wednesday for autonomy for a Muslim region to end an insurgency there despite widespread misgivings after Muslim rebels killed 44 policemen.
Yemen Houthis take over U.S.-trained special forces base in Sanaa
SANAA (Reuters) – Armed men from Yemen’s newly dominant Houthi group took over a special forces army base in the capital Sanaa early on Wednesday, soldiers there said.
Suicide bombers kill at least 26 across north Nigeria
(This January 24 story was corrected to change spelling of town in paragraph 13 to Gambaru)
Chadian soldiers kill 207 Boko Haram fighters in Nigeria: army
(This January 24 story was corrected to change spelling of town name to Gambaru)
Russia says many in Kiev want Ukraine peace deal to fail
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia is concerned that many people in Kiev and outside Ukraine want a peace deal in the east of the country to fail, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.
