Former Lebanese PM Karami dies: state news agency
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanon’s former prime minister Omar Karami has died aged 80 after an illness, state news agency NNA reported on Thursday citing a statement from his family.
Pope urges united fight against slavery, human trafficking
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis urged people of all religions and cultures on Thursday to unite to fight modern slavery and human trafficking, saying in his first Mass of 2015 that everyone had a God-given right to be free.
Video purports to show two Italians held by Syria captors
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A video released late on Wednesday purported to show two Italian women held by militants in Syria, with one of them saying they are in danger of being killed.
Afghans take over full security charge, mortars kill 20 civilians
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan assumed full responsibility for security from departing foreign combat troops on Thursday, a day after Afghan army mortar shells killed at least 20 civilians attending a wedding party in volatile southern Helmand province….
Cuba frees dissidents from crackdown condemned by U.S.
HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba freed some leading dissidents on Wednesday after holding them overnight to thwart an unauthorized demonstration in a crackdown that has tested its new detente with the United States.
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un says open to summit with South
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he was open to a high-level summit with neighboring South Korea, days after a proposal from Seoul to resume dialogue.
Gambia president returns home after reports of coup attempt
BANJUL (Reuters) – Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh returned to Banjul on Wednesday and shops and banks reopened, a day after gunfire erupted around the presidential palace in an apparent coup attempt led by a former commander of the presidential guard….
Netanyahu wins Likud nomination ahead of Israel general election
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been voted in as head of the right-wing Likud party, overcoming his first hurdle toward winning a fourth term in office in a March general election, results of a party primary publishe…
Syria’s Assad visits embattled Damascus district: presidency
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited a district on the outskirts of Damascus and thanked soldiers fighting “in the face of terrorism”, his office said on its Twitter account on Wednesday, posting pictures of the rare trip.
Lithuania joins euro as tensions with neighboring Russia rise
VILNIUS (Reuters) – Lithuania joined the euro zone at the stroke of midnight on Thursday, hoping to anchor itself in Europe as its former master Russia flexes its military muscle in the region.
