Sri Lanka president pardons five Indian fishermen on death row
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s president on Wednesday pardoned five Indian fishermen who had been sentenced to death for drug trafficking, a move likely to reduce tensions with India.
Israel approves 78 new settler homes in East Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel on Wednesday approved the construction of 78 new homes in two settlements on West Bank land annexed to Jerusalem, likely to aggravate Palestinian anger at a time when violence has flared, including a deadly attack on a syna…
Putin backs deeper ties with North Korea after meeting Kim envoy
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Wednesday for deeper ties with North Korea to improve regional security, a day after holding talks with a personal envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Kenyan police arrest 109 at mosques, seize explosives
MOMBASA Kenya (Reuters) – Kenyan police found explosives at three mosques in Mombasa on Wednesday and arrested 109 people on suspicion they were undergoing militant training, in the latest in a series of raids in the port city.
Indonesia holds 200 Malaysians in crackdown on illegal fishing
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia on Wednesday detained 200 Malaysians found fishing illegally in its waters, as it moves to stem billions of dollars in economic losses, a senior government official told Reuters.
Croatia to hold presidential election on Dec. 28
ZAGREB (Reuters) – Croatia, the European Union’s newest member, will hold a presidential election on Dec. 28, a government spokesman told Reuters on Wednesday.
South Africa’s latest power struggle: unpaid bills
SOWETO South Africa (Reuters) – Zodwa Madiba has not paid an electricity bill in 14 years and is resolute she never will, holding the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to vague promises made in the dying days of apartheid to provide free electrici…
Iraqi Kurds say West not providing enough arms to defeat Islamic State
PARIS (Reuters) – The president of Iraqi Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani, accused Western countries on Wednesday of not providing enough heavy weapons to help his ‘peshmerga’ forces deliver a “decisive blow” against Islamic State militants.
Gunmen driven out, but bullet-scarred Lebanese city still boils
TRIPOLI Lebanon (Reuters) – So many bullet holes cover the apartment blocks and shops in the Bab al-Tabbeneh district of northern Lebanon’s main city Tripoli that you can hardly tell which conflict they are from any more.
France says jets strike IS targets to break Kirkuk frontline
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that two Rafale jets had struck Islamic State targets alongside coalition planes near the northern Iraqi oil city of Kirkuk in an effort to breach the group’s frontlines.
