Colombia rebels to free general, opening door to resume peace talks
HAVANA/BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombian Marxist rebels agreed to release an army general captured by their comrades over the weekend, a move that may lead to a resumption of peace talks and diffuse a crisis that threatened to extend five decades of war.
Earthquake hits northern Japan, no tsunami warning issued
TOKYO (Reuters) – An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 hit northern Japan on Thursday, public broadcaster NHK said.
Syrian air force strikes increasing, civilians killed: monitoring group
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian air force launched about 1,592 strikes across Syria over the past month, killing at least 396 civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Wednesday.
Obama administration would back sanctions against Venezuela: official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration would like to work with the U.S. Congress to impose sanctions on Venezuela in response to a crackdown on anti-government protests, President Barack Obama’s deputy national security adviser told lawmakers …
U.N. blacklists Libya’s Ansar al-Sharia, involved in Benghazi attack
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday blacklisted two branches of the Islamist extremist group Ansar al-Sharia in Libya, which Washington says was behind the 2012 Benghazi attack that killed the U.S. ambassador and three oth…
Ukraine rules out direct talks with separatists
KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia urged Ukraine’s leaders on Wednesday to talk directly to separatists to end the conflict in the east, but Kiev rejected the call and told Moscow to stop “playing games” aimed at legitimizing “terrorists”.
Ivory Coast government opens talks with disgruntled soldiers
ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Ivory Coast’s government opened negotiations with disgruntled soldiers on Wednesday, promising to pay back wages and overdue benefits to thousands of ex-rebels now serving in the army in a bid to quell unrest.
Kosovo parties break deadlock, form government -president
PRISTINA (Reuters) – Kosovo’s two biggest parties agreed “in principle” on Wednesday to form a government, the Balkan country’s president said, signalling an end to more than five months of damaging political deadlock.
Honduran Miss World contestant and sister found murdered
TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) – A Honduran beauty queen has been found shot dead in a suspected crime of passion just days before she was due to compete in the Miss World pageant in London, police said on Wednesday.
Niger sends helicopters to Mali border after militant attack
NIAMEY (Reuters) – Niger sent army helicopters to its western border with Mali on Wednesday to repel unidentified militants who crossed over to attack the town of Bani-Bangou, residents and military sources said.
