Iraqi troops regain ground from militants in northern town
TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraqi troops backed by helicopter gunships regained ground in the northern town of Sulaiman Pek on Friday, a day after parts of it were overrun by Sunni Islamist insurgents, the mayor said.
Italy president to conclude talks to form new government by Saturday
ROME (Reuters) – Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has accepted the resignation of outgoing Prime Minister Enrico Letta and will immediately begin formal consultations to form a new government and complete them by Saturday, a statement from Napolita…
Treading softly, Thai riot police reclaim Bangkok protest site
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thai riot police reclaimed a main Bangkok thoroughfare on Friday that has been occupied for months by demonstrators seeking to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, and said they would move to seize other protest sites in comin…
Renzi grabs power in Italy without election
ROME (Reuters) – Italian center-left leader Matteo Renzi is young, dynamic and has never shied away from a challenge, but his decision to force party colleague Enrico Letta to resign as prime minister is a huge political gamble.
Car bomb kills at least 18 in Syria
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A car bomb killed at least 18 people a town in southern Syria on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
Low-level conflict afflicts Bahrain on third uprising anniversary
MANAMA (Reuters) – Three years after the eruption of a popular uprising in Bahrain that security forces subdued but have failed to stamp out, the ruling family has launched a new dialogue with the opposition but a breakthrough to end the turmoil remain…
Kerry says Obama has asked for new policy options on Syria
BEIJING (Reuters) – Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that President Barack Obama has asked for possible new policy options on Syria given the worsening humanitarian situation there.
Attack on prison in Yemeni capital kills 11
SANAA (Reuters) – Eleven people were killed when attackers mounted a bomb, grenade and gun assault on the main prison in Yemen’s capital on Thursday to free inmates, security sources and witnesses said.
Indonesia volcano erupts; 76,000 evacuated, most of Java’s airports shut
JAKARTA (Reuters) – More than 76,000 people fled their homes and flights were grounded across most of Indonesia’s densely populated island of Java on Friday after a volcanic eruption sent a huge plume of ash and sand 17 km (10 miles) into the air.
China dashes Taiwan’s hope of meeting between leaders at APEC
TAIPEI (Reuters) – China has rebuffed a request by Taiwan for Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou to meet at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing, saying it was “inappropriate”, a Taiwan official said…
