Obama reaffirms commitment to Japan on tour of Asia allies
TOKYO (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama assured ally Japan on Thursday that Washington was committed to its defense, including of tiny isles at the heart of a row with China, but denied he had drawn any new “red line” and urged peaceful dialogue …
U.S. official says Hamas-PLO government would prompt aid reassessment
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States would have to reconsider its assistance to the Palestinians if Islamist group Hamas and the Palestinian Liberation Organization form a government together, a senior U.S. administration official said on Thursday….
Leader of Mali coup charged with conspiracy to murder after bodies discovered
BAMAKO (Reuters) – Malian authorities have changed the indictment against former military coup leader General Amadou Sanogo to a more serious charge of conspiracy to murder which carries the death penalty in the West African nation, his lawyer said Thu…
Embattled South Sudan president replaces army chief
JUBA (Reuters) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has sacked his army chief, a military spokesman said, replacing him with a loyalist from his own ethnic group as the country’s four-month conflict shows signs of being increasingly fought along tribal…
Anti-graft group accuses EU of complacency on corruption
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European lobbyists carry out much of their work in secrecy and there is widespread complacency in Brussels about tackling corruption or conflicts of interest, Transparency International said on Thursday.
Egypt’s army says has ‘complete control’ over Sinai Peninsula
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s military said on Thursday it had gained “complete control over the situation” in the Sinai Peninsula, where Islamist insurgents have been carrying out attacks against security forces for several months.
U.S. vows to help Libya tackle ‘rising violent extremism’
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns on Thursday promised Libya more U.S. help against extremist violence, saying the country could not achieve political or economic stability without tackling its security challenges.
Boy and girl on Korean ferry drowned with life jackets tied together
SEOUL (Reuters) – A boy and girl trapped in a sinking South Korean ferry with hundreds of other high school students tied their life jacket cords together, a diver who recovered their bodies said, presumably so they wouldn’t float apart.
Kashmiris shun polls as Modi challenges for power in India
ANANTNAG, India (Reuters) – Mohammad Amin Pandith, a smallholder and father-of-three from Indian-controlled Kashmir, was lured from his home at night by a man in army uniform, dragged along a potholed lane and shot in the back of the head.
Australia rules out link between debris and Malaysian plane
PERTH/MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Authorities ruled out any link between debris picked up on an Australian beach and a missing Malaysian jetliner on Thursday as a tropical cyclone again threatened to hamper a 26-nation air, surface and underwater search of t…
