French, U.S. planes strike Islamic State, Britain to join coalition
NEW YORK/BEIRUT (Reuters) – French fighter jets struck Islamic State targets in Iraq on Thursday, and the United States hit them in Syria, as a U.S.-led coalition to fight the militants gained momentum with an announcement that Britain would join.
Thai PM bemoans divisive soap operas, offers to write better ones
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Friday criticized television soap operas for promoting violence and divisions in society said he wanted scripts to encourage reconciliation, and would write them himself if he had to.
Britain arrests two more men in operation against Islamist militants
LONDON (Reuters) – British police arrested two men as part of an operation into Islamist-related militancy on Friday as lawmakers prepared to approve Prime Minister David Cameron’s plan to join U.S.-led air strikes against Islamic State militants in Ir…
From jubilation in Tahrir, Egypt returns to Mubarak-era politics
CAIRO (Reuters) – In a dusty courtyard in Egypt’s Nile Delta, men gather to ask for favors at the home of retired police general Sayyed Azb.
Indonesia’s parliament puts an end to direct regional elections
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s parliament on Friday approved a measure ending direct elections for governors and mayors, a move president-elect Joko Widodo criticised as a “big step back” for democracy in the country.
Syrian, Iraqi and other asylum seekers on rise in West: UNHCR
GENEVA (Reuters) – Wars in Syria and Iraq, and instability in other hotspots are driving ever more people to seek asylum in wealthy nations, with requests on track to hit a 20-year high in 2014, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday.
Four children stabbed to death in southern China: state media
BEIJING (Reuters) – A man killed four primary school students on Friday in the southern region of Guangxi, state media said, in the latest of a series of knife attacks that have unnerved the country.
Australia defense chief apologizes after race-based assault claim withdrawn
SYDNEY (Reuters) – The head of Australia’s Defense Force apologized on Friday after an officer withdraw allegations he had been attacked by two men “of Middle Eastern appearance”, allegations that had fueled tensions during a crackdown by counter-terro…
Eight Mexican military detained over alleged gang shootout
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico has detained eight military personnel involved in an alleged shootout in June that killed 22 suspected gang members, the defense ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
Islamic State ‘brand’ gains ground among Asian militants
MANILA (Reuters) – A threat by Philippine militants to kill a German hostage in a show of solidarity with Islamic State is the latest sign that the Middle East group’s brand of radicalism is winning recruits in Asia and posing a growing security risk i…
