At least 20 people killed in attacks across Iraq: police
TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) – At least 20 people were killed in a spate of attacks across Iraq on Monday that included the seizure by gunmen of a television station, the targeting of Shi’ite Muslim pilgrims and a desert offensive by the army.
Pakistani army launches offensive near Afghan border
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Residents of Pakistan’s ethnic Pashtun region of North Waziristan accused government troops on Monday of killing dozens of civilians during a military operation against Taliban insurgents.
Thai baht slumps as protesters seek to block election
BANGKOK (Reuters) – The Thai baht plumbed its lowest in almost four years on Monday as a political crisis grew more intractable, with anti-government protesters trying to block candidates registering for a February election that is looking increasingly…
Britain top grant donor to World Bank fund for poor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Britain was the largest grant donor to the World Bank’s fund for poor countries in the latest round, followed by the United States, Japan and Germany, as the traditional top four donors shuffled their rankings.
American jailed in UAE for YouTube parody video
ABU DHABI (Reuters) – An American citizen was sentenced to a year in prison in the United Arab Emirates on Monday for posting a parody video on YouTube which pokes fun at young Emirati men who imitate U.S. hip-hop culture, his family said.
Turkish navy tugboat capsizes, 10 killed
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A Turkish navy tugboat capsized while docked for repairs at a shipyard on the Aegean coast on Monday, killing 10 people, the military said.
Chadian peacekeepers clash with protesters in Central African Republic
BANGUI (Reuters) – Chadian peacekeepers opened fire on a crowd demonstrating against their presence in the capital of Central African Republic on Monday, killing one person and injuring several others, protesters said.
‘Parallel governments’ stoke polarized politics in Venezuela
CARACAS (Reuters) – Opposition politician Ricardo Hernandez was elected mayor of Tariba, a small Venezuelan city near the border with Colombia, by a landslide.
Week-long Aleppo air raids kill more than 300: monitor
BEIRUT (Reuters) – More than 300 people have been killed in a week of air raids on the northern Syrian city of Aleppo and nearby towns by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, a monitoring group said on Monday.
Qatar rights advocate hit by U.S. sanctions denies al Qaeda ties
DOHA (Reuters) – The Qatari head of a Geneva-based human rights organization will contest the sanctions imposed on him by the United States for allegedly financing al Qaeda, he said on Monday.
