Explosions hit Syrian gas pipelines, electricity cut
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Explosions hit two large Syrian gas pipelines on Friday near Damascus and the central city of Homs, cutting electricity supplies around the capital and in Mediterranean provinces, officials and activists said.
Cambodian forces open fire as factory strikes turn violent
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) – Cambodian military police opened fire with assault rifles on Friday to quell a protest by garment factory workers demanding higher pay, and human rights workers said at least four people were killed.
Nordic convoy heads for Syria on delayed chemical weapons mission
NICOSIA (Reuters) – Four Norwegian and Danish vessels, which are due to ship hundreds of tonnes of deadly chemicals out of Syria, headed for international waters off the Syrian coast on Friday, a Norwegian military spokesman said.
Palestinian protesters greet Kerry’s visit
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Palestinian protesters on Friday condemned the latest efforts by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to advance peace talks with Israel, using chants evoking the Arab uprisings and telling him to go home.
Violence in Central African Republic displaces nearly 1 million: U.N.
BANGUI (Reuters) – Violence in Central African Republic has uprooted nearly a million people, a fifth of the population, and is hampering aid efforts, particularly in the capital Bangui, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.
South Sudan talks start slowly as U.S. pulls out more staff
JUBA/ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – South Sudan’s government and rebels finally began talks to end weeks of bloodletting on Friday after days of delay as the United States ordered out more of its embassy staff.
Turkish court orders jailed Kurdish lawmakers be freed
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) – A Turkish court ordered the release from jail on Friday of two Kurdish lawmakers being tried for links to militants in a potential boost to a fragile peace process.
Iraq army, tribes join forces against al Qaeda
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Dressed in black and waving al Qaeda flags, Islamist insurgents battled tribesmen for control of the Iraqi city of Ramadi on Friday, while in Fallujah they grabbed loudspeakers after weekly prayers to call for support.
Vacation list spurs New Year political fight in Venezuela
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s politicians are at each other’s throats after the government published a list of foreign trips enjoyed by opposition leaders during the Christmas and New Year holidays, saying it proved they don’t love their country.
Analysis: Mitterrand’s shadow looms as Hollande seeks to revive France
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s deeply unpopular President Francois Hollande appears to have found inspiration from his hero Francois Mitterrand, announcing an abrupt pro-business lurch in tax policy that echoes moves by his Socialist predecessor 30 years a…
