France to send military gear to Lebanon from early 2015: source
PARIS (Reuters) – France will start delivering military equipment to the Lebanese army in the first quarter of 2015 as part of a $3 billion contract to help the force fight jihadis from neighboring Syria, a French defense ministry source said on Wednes…
Palestinian anger boils in the heart of East Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – For months, the streets of mainly Arab East Jerusalem, in the shadow of the Old City but where tourists seldom venture, have been ablaze, with daily clashes between armed Israeli police and Palestinians throwing rocks and Molotov …
Sudan denies U.N. access in Darfur to look into mass rape report
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Sudanese troops denied U.N. and African Union peacekeepers access to a town in the country’s western Darfur region to investigate reports of an alleged mass rape of some 200 women and girls, the United Nations said on Wednesd…
U.S. continues strikes against Islamic State in Syria, Iraq: U.S. Central Command
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States continued its assault on Islamic State militants this week, conducting 14 airstrikes in recent days in Syria and Iraq, U.S. Central Command said in a statement on Wednesday.
UK, Germany offer plan to break Bosnia’s EU deadlock
BERLIN/LONDON (Reuters) – Britain and Germany put forward a plan on Wednesday to revive Bosnia’s stalled bid to join the European Union, offering to unlock EU funds in exchange for commitments to institutional reform from the country’s yet-to-be-formed…
Egypt defends rights record against critics at U.N.
GENEVA (Reuters) – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s government defended its human rights record against Western and regional critics at a United Nations hearing on Wednesday, declaring that personal freedoms were among its prime concerns.
Iran hardliners want nuclear deal but no ties with Washington
ANKARA/DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran may be ready to reach a nuclear deal with world powers to revive its economy, but is in no rush to go further by restoring relations with the United States, calculating this would imperil its domestic support.
Ukraine peace plan in tatters, ‘frozen conflict’ takes shape
KIEV/DONETSK Ukraine (Reuters) – Kiev said on Wednesday it would halt payment of state funds in areas controlled by pro-Moscow rebels, as both sides hardened positions in what is rapidly becoming a “frozen conflict”: a long-term stalemate that the West…
Spain court grants extradition of ‘Pink Panther’ jewel thief suspect to UAE
MADRID (Reuters) – Spain will extradite a Serbian wanted by the United Arab Emirates for his alleged role in a multi-million dollar jewel heist carried out there by the so-called Pink Panther gang, the High Court said on Wednesday.
Myanmar’s Suu Kyi says reforms stalled, West too optimistic
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Wednesday political reforms had been stalled for months and accused the United States of being overly optimistic about the chance of progress.
