China to list legal places of worship, ‘root out’ illegal: Xinhua
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China is to publish online details of legal religious venues, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday, apparently in an effort to identify unsanctioned groups as part of an effort to “root out illegal religious activit…
U.S.-funded radio station says Azerbaijan office raided
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Azerbaijani authorities raided and closed the bureau of the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on Friday in an apparent attempt to silence one of the country’s last independent media outlets, the station said.
Parents of Cuban who spied for U.S. say they only hope he’s well
HAVANA (Reuters) – For two decades, the parents of a Cuban man convicted of spying for the United States believed he was innocent. Now that all signs suggest he was a double agent working for Washington, they say they can only wish him a happy future.
U.S.-funded radio station says Azerbaijan office raided
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Azerbaijani authorities have raided and closed the bureau of the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) in an apparent attempt to silence one of the country’s last independent media outlets, the station said on Frid…
Kiev, rebels exchange POWs; trains, buses to Crimea suspended
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s government and pro-Russian separatists on Friday exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war while Kiev said it would suspend all train and bus service to Crimea, effectively creating a transportation blockade to and from the regi…
Vatican arrests Femen activist who bared breasts in St Peter’s Square
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Vatican said on Friday it had arrested a member of women’s rights group Femen who on Christmas Day bared her breasts and grabbed a statue of the baby Jesus from a nativity scene in front of thousands of people in St. Peter’…
Islamic State targeted in 39 strikes by U.S., allies: Task Force
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. forces and their allies staged 39 air strikes on Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria over the past two days, the Combined Joint Task Force said on Friday.
Colombia’s FARC rebels free soldier captured during attack
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s Marxist FARC rebels have freed a soldier captured during an attack on a military patrol last week in which five other troops were killed, the group said on Friday.
UK’s Labour faces wipe-out in Scotland despite change of leader: poll
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s opposition Labour Party could suffer a wipe-out in Scotland in a UK-wide parliamentary election in May, scuppering its overall chances of supplanting Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives, a poll suggested on Friday….
Venezuela’s Maduro moves foreign minister Ramirez to U.N.
CARACAS (Reuters) – President Nicolas Maduro named powerful Foreign Minister Rafael Ramirez to a new post as envoy to the United Nations on Friday, saying the appointment would strengthen Venezuela’s voice on the world body’s Security Council from Jan….
