Senior U.S. diplomat ruffles Cuba by meeting dissidents
HAVANA (Reuters) – A senior U.S. diplomat in Cuba for negotiations on restoring long-frozen diplomatic relations met a group of dissidents on Friday, seeking to underline Washington’s concern over human rights but irritating the island’s communist gove…
New Saudi king seeks to reassure on succession and policy
RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s new King Salman pledged continuity in energy and foreign policies on Friday and moved quickly to appoint younger men as his heirs, settling the succession for years to come by naming a deputy crown prince from his dyna…
Yemen suffers power vacuum after president, premier quit
SANAA (Reuters) – Yemen drifted deeper into political limbo on Friday after President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi resigned in exasperation at a Houthi rebel takeover of the country, a move that appeared to catch the Iran-backed group off balance.
Haiti picks election council to get back on democratic path
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) – Haiti on Friday installed a Provisional Electoral Council in a key step toward averting a constitutional crisis after weeks of protests and political uncertainty.
Argentina suspects rogue agents were behind death of prosecutor
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina suspects rogue agents from its own intelligence services were behind the death of a state prosecutor investigating the deadly 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires.
Darfur offers Islamists ‘fertile ground’ as violence persists: U.N.
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – United Nations experts warned that Sudan’s remote western territories could become a breeding ground for radical Islamists as violence in the country’s conflict-torn Darfur region rages at an alarming level.
U.S.’ Kerry, Iran foreign minister confer on nuke talks
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jawad Zarif met here on Thursday, a senior State Department official said, the latest in an intensifying series of talks to reach a deal on Iran’s d…
Islamic State deadline on Japanese captives passes with no word on fate
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan said on Friday it was still trying to secure the release of two Japanese hostages held by Islamic State militants after a deadline to pay ransom for their release passed and there was no immediate word on their fate.
Five Lebanese soldiers killed in clashes with militants near Syria
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese troops repelled an attack by militants on an army outpost near the Syrian border on Friday but five soldiers were killed, the army said.
Greek anti-austerity party holds lead before Sunday elections
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s leftist Syria party held onto its opinion poll lead on Friday as it campaigns to form the first euro zone government committed to scrapping austerity outright after elections this weekend.
