U.S. expedites delivery of missiles, drones to Iraq amid violence
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has delivered dozens of Hellfire air-to-ground missiles to Iraq in recent weeks and plans shipments of Scan Eagle drones next year amid a surge in violence, U.S. officials said on Thursday, a day after at least …
Iranian dissidents say rockets hit their Baghdad camp, kill two
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – A camp of Iranian dissidents in the Iraqi capital was hit by rockets on Thursday in an attack the group said killed at least two people and seriously wounded several others.
South Sudan rebels seize oil wells, mediators urge talks
JUBA (Reuters) – Rebels in South Sudan have seized some oil wells and captured half of the capital of the main oil-producing region, the government and army said on Thursday as African leaders held talks to avert civil war.
Protesting Turkish prosecutor piles pressure on PM
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A Turkish prosecutor accused police on Thursday of obstructing his pursuit of a high-level graft case, adding to public scrutiny of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s government as it hunkered down defiantly.
Kenyan police seek youths over Christmas Day church burnings
MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) – Youths threw petrol bombs at two Kenyan churches on Christmas day, police said on Thursday, in the latest bout of violence against Christians on the country’s predominantly Muslim coast.
Tribesmen seize oil ministry building in east Yemen
ADEN (Reuters) – Tribesmen seized an oil ministry building in Yemen’s eastern Hadramout province on Thursday and exchanged gunfire with a pro-government tribe seeking to regain control of the premises, tribal sources and ministry employees said.
First Greenpeace activist leaves Russia
MOSCOW (Reuters) – The first of 30 Greenpeace activists arrested after a protest over Arctic oil drilling has left Russia, the environmental group said on Thursday, with all expected to get clearance to leave Russia by Friday.
Lufthansa cancels flights as Paris staff call in sick
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – German airline Lufthansa cancelled four flights to and from Paris after most of its workers there called in sick on Thursday morning, a spokesman for the company said.
Japan’s Abe visits shrine for war dead, China, South Korea angered
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited a shrine on Thursday that is seen by critics as a symbol of Tokyo’s wartime aggression, infuriating China and South Korea and prompting concern from the United States about deteriorating ties…
U.N. experts urge U.S., Yemen to explain erroneous drone strikes
GENEVA (Reuters) – United Nations human rights experts told the United States and Yemen on Thursday to say whether they were complicit in drone attacks that mistakenly killed civilians in wedding processions this month.
