Mexico frees 61 kidnap victims held near U.S. border
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican authorities freed 61 kidnapping victims in the northern border city of Reynosa, the government said on Friday, liberating a mix of foreign nationals that included at least nine minors and one American.
Colombian presidential candidate slams Santos’ peace efforts
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Marxist FARC rebel leaders should be in a Colombian prison rather than negotiating peace with the government in Cuba, and no “terrorist” should ever be allowed into politics, opposition presidential candidate Oscar Ivan Zuluaga said …
Red Cross evacuates 44 wounded from Yemen’s Dammaj
DOHA (Reuters) – The Red Cross evacuated 44 people wounded in clashes between Shi’ite and Sunni Muslim fighters in the Yemeni town of Dammaj on Friday, the second such operation in under a week, the humanitarian agency said.
U.S., Germany discuss intelligence cooperation after Merkel affair
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – After disclosures that the U.S. National Security Agency tapped German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone, Washington and Berlin are discussing new rules to govern dealings between their spy agencies, U.S. and European official…
Libyan army launches push for order in troubled Benghazi
BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) – Libyan’s army moved into Benghazi in eastern Libya on Friday, a show of force aimed at restoring order in the country’s second largest city, rocked by almost daily bombings and assassinations.
Lebanon starts to vaccinate 750,000 against polio after Syria outbreak
ZAHLE, Lebanon (Reuters) – Lebanon launched a massive public health initiative on Friday to vaccinate all children under five against polio, following a confirmed outbreak of the crippling disease last month in neighboring war-torn Syria.
Italy arrests Somali gang leader for kidnap, rape of migrants
PALERMO, Italy (Reuters) – Italy has arrested a Somali for kidnapping, extortion and rape against desperate Eritrean migrants in a case that shines a light into the brutal criminal gangs trafficking people into Europe from Africa, police said on Friday…
Russia accuses Dutch over Greenpeace protest as king visits
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia criticized the Netherlands before talks with the Dutch king on Friday, accusing it of “inaction” in not preventing a Greenpeace protest at a Russian Arctic oil rig in which 30 people were arrested.
Putin allies submit bill to punish separatism with prison
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian lawmakers introduced legislation on Friday that would make spreading separatist views or expressing sympathy for separatist groups a criminal offence punishable by jail.
Super typhoon Haiyan slams into Philippines, at least three dead
MANILA (Reuters) – The strongest typhoon in the world this year and possibly the most powerful ever to hit land smashed into the Philippines on Friday, forcing more than a million people to flee, flooding villages and raising fears of widespread casual…
