French leader dines twice with Obama, Putin seeking Ukraine thaw
PARIS (Reuters) – Criticized at home for a lack of initiative on Ukraine, French President Francois Hollande will hold separate dinners on Thursday with the U.S. and Russian leaders in an attempt to unlock Europe’s worst security crisis since the Cold …
China frees three activists after Tiananmen anniversary
BEIJING (Reuters) – China released on Thursday three activists who had been detained for a month for attending a meeting to commemorate the military suppression of pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989, their lawyers said.
Snowden’s lawyer says assumes his Russian asylum will be extended
BERLIN (Reuters) – A lawyer for former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden told German radio on Thursday that he expected his client’s asylum in Russia to be extended beyond July.
Freed soldier’s hometown cancels rally amid anger over swap
KABUL (Reuters) – The political uproar over the prisoner swap that won the release of U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl from Taliban captivity intensified on Wednesday when his hometown canceled plans for a rally celebrating his return amid allegations …
Video shows Vietnam fishing boat sink after collision with Chinese vessel
HANOI/MANILA (Reuters) – Vietnam state television has broadcast video showing a Chinese ship colliding with a small Vietnamese fishing boat which capsizes in its path not far from where China has parked an oil rig in disputed waters.
Yemen says 500 al Qaeda militants, 40 soldiers killed in campaign
SANAA (Reuters) – Five hundred al Qaeda militants and 40 soldiers have been killed since the military launched an offensive against the group in April, Yemeni army spokesman, Colonel Saeed al-Faquih, told a news conference on Thursday.
China detains 29 in security operation in restive Xinjiang
BEIJING (Reuters) – Authorities in China’s Xinjiang region have rounded up 29 suspects on charges such as inciting separatism, state media said on Thursday, part of a crackdown following deadly attacks blamed by Beijing on Islamists and other militants…
South Korea poll offers fresh mandate for Park to speed reform
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean President Park Geun-hye was handed a sharp rebuke at regional and mayoral polls for her government’s handling of April’s ferry disaster but an official said on Thursday her party can now work to rebuild trust in the griev…
Indonesia presidential candidate Jokowi says he’d have market-friendly policies
JAKARTA (Reuters) – The front-runner to become Indonesia’s new president, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, has told investors that he will pursue market-friendly policies and make bureaucratic reform and infrastructure-building his priorities.
Assad declared landslide victor in wartime Syrian election
BEIRUT (Reuters) – President Bashar al-Assad has secured a landslide victory in a wartime election that was condemned as a sham by his opponents but demonstrated his tenacious hold on power after three years of brutal civil war.
