Eyeing 2015 vote, UK’s opposition Labour promises immigration curbs
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s opposition Labour would crack down on immigration if elected next year, its leader Ed Miliband said on Thursday, taking a tougher line on the issue in response to the rise of the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP).
East of Kobani, Turkish town appreciates ‘peace’ brought by Islamic State
AKCAKALE Turkey (Reuters) – Residents of a Turkish border town, an hour’s drive from where Islamic State is battling for control of Kobani, appreciate the quiet they say the Sunni militants brought when they swiftly seized neighboring Syrian territory….
Obama invites new Afghan leaders to White House
KABUL (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama, keen to reset relations with Afghanistan that soured under longtime president Hamid Karzai, has invited the leaders of Afghanistan’s new unity government to visit the White House early next year.
China does not rule out Tibet visit by U.N. rights chief
BEIJING (Reuters) – China has not ruled out a visit by the United Nations human rights chief to its unrest-plagued regions of Tibet and Xinjiang, but said on Thursday he must apply through “appropriate channels”.
Libya’s oil to flow despite struggle between rival governments
CAIRO (Reuters) – A struggle has broken out for control of Libya’s state-run energy sector as rival governments in Tripoli and the east compete for power, but a common interest in maintaining oil revenues will keep exports flowing for now.
Special Report: Why Ukraine’s revolution remains unfinished
(Note: Contains language readers may find offensive in paragraph 12 of section headed ‘FEB 21: THE DOWNFALL’)
China criticizes U.S. missile defense radar in Japan
BEIJING (Reuters) – The United States is damaging stability in the Asia-Pacific region by positioning a missile defense radar in Japan, China said on Thursday.
UK’s Cameron to object to EU budget plans at leaders’ summit: source
LONDON (Reuters) – Prime Minister David Cameron plans to use a meeting of European leaders this week to lobby against European Union requests for member states to stump up more money, a British government source said.
African beacon Botswana prepares for tight election
GABORONE (Reuters) – Botswana will on Friday hold what are expected to be its closest elections since gaining independence from Britain 48 years ago as President Ian Khama’s ruling party faces growing dissent in a country often heralded as a beacon of …
Japan PM’s new minister hit by scandal over racy bar bill
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s new trade minister on Thursday called his support group’s spending at a racy bar “inappropriate,” but declined to sell shares in Tokyo Electric Power, the operator of the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant his ministry supervis…
