Sri Lanka counts war dead after pressure from abroad
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka began counting the dead from its 26-year civil war on Thursday, less than two weeks after the island nation came under intense international pressure to investigate allegations of war crimes during the climax of the confli…
Israel jails six Arabs over 2005 killing of Jewish gunman
HAIFA, Israel (Reuters) – An Israeli court jailed six Israeli Arab citizens on Thursday over the mob killing in 2005 of a Jewish gunman after he went on a deadly rampage on a bus in their town.
Japan, S.Korean military planes defy China’s new defense zone
TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) – Japanese and South Korean military aircraft flew through disputed air space over the East China Sea without informing China, officials said on Thursday, challenging a new Chinese air defense zone that has increased regional tens…
Pope names private secretary to supervise Vatican bank
ROME (Reuters) – Pope Francis named his personal secretary to supervise the activities of the Vatican bank on Thursday, in a sign the pontiff wants to keep a tight grip on the drive to clean up its operations and image.
Leaders urge Croats to reject anti gay marriage referendum
ZAGREB (Reuters) – Croatia’s ruling center-left coalition urged citizens to reject Sunday’s referendum on constitutionally defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman that has been supported by the conservative opposition and Roman Catholic …
Central African Republic needs many more peacekeepers: EU
ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Central African Republic needs up to four times more peacekeepers than are currently deployed to quell the worsening sectarian conflict and provide security for aid workers, the European Union’s top humanitarian official said.
Indian cyclone weakens, authorities say no threat
BHUBANESWAR, India, Nov 28 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – A severe cyclone weakened before it made landfall on India’s east coast on Thursday, and an official said it no longer posed a serious threat to thousands of people in low-lying areas.
U.N. Yemen envoy says former president’s camp undermining talks
DUBAI (Reuters) – The U.N. envoy to Yemen has accused members of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s government of obstructing reconciliation talks aimed at completing a power transfer deal, and called for international support for the current admini…
Hollande backs away from deadline on unemployment
PARIS (Reuters) – French President Francois Hollande backed away on Thursday from a pledge to bring unemployment down by the end of the year, saying instead that it would take as long as necessary.
Video shows execution of Syrian rebels by Al Qaeda-linked group
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Al Qaeda-linked militants have executed the commander of a rival rebel faction and six of his men, an amateur video of the public execution showed, part of their campaign to marginalize other groups.
