China tells South Korea it blocked KakaoTalk, Line to fight terrorism
SEOUL (Reuters) – Chinese authorities say they have blocked messaging apps KakaoTalk and Line as part of efforts to fight terrorism, South Korea said on Thursday, the first official explanation of service disruptions in China that began a month ago.
Colombia court bars rebels guilty of atrocities from public office
BOGOTA (Reuters) – A Colombian high court ruled on Wednesday that Marxist rebels found guilty of atrocious war crimes cannot hold public office, a decision that may block some FARC leaders from entering politics and complicate negotiations to end five …
U.S. and Iranian officials to hold nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday, says U.S. State Department
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. and Iranian officials will hold nuclear talks in Geneva on Thursday, the U.S. State Department said in a statement issued late on Wednesday, as leaders seek to break a logjam between Tehran and six major powers on the nuclea…
China upholds death penalty for businessman linked to former security czar
BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese court on Thursday upheld the death sentence for a former mining tycoon connected to the eldest son of former domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang, the focus of a high-profile corruption investigation, state media reported…
Gaza ceasefire holds on second day, extension talks under way
GAZA/CAIRO (Reuters) – A 72-hour Gaza truce held through its second day on Wednesday and Israel said it was ready to extend the deal as Egyptian mediators pursued talks with Israelis and Palestinians on an enduring end to a war that devastated the Hama…
Customs official in China’s Qingdao dies of unnatural causes: Xinhua
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – The deputy commissioner of Qingdao Customs, which manages the Chinese city’s ports, has died of unnatural causes, state news agency Xinhua said on Thursday.
Australia mourns dead in Malaysia Airlines plane crash
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia held a national day of mourning on Thursday for its citizens killed in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in Ukraine last month, even as Russia said it was ratcheting up its response to Western sanctions imposed o…
Soldier who killed U.S. general spent three years in Afghan army
KABUL (Reuters) – The Afghan who opened fire on a high-ranking delegation visiting a military complex in Kabul, killing U.S. Major General Harold Greene, had served in the army for three years, an Afghan defense official said on Wednesday.
Exclusive: U.S. to spend up to $550 million on African rapid response forces
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States announced on Wednesday plans to spend $110 million a year over the next three to five years to help African nations develop peacekeeping forces that can be rapidly deployed to head off militant threats and other…
Russia bans all U.S. food, EU fruit and vegetables in sanctions response; NATO fears invasion
MOSCOW/DONETSK Ukraine (Reuters) – Russia will ban all imports of food from the United States and all fruit and vegetables from Europe, the state news agency reported on Wednesday, a sweeping response to Western sanctions imposed over its support for r…
