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.
U.N. hopes for South Sudan reinforcements within 48 hours
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United Nations on Thursday said it hopes to begin receiving within the next 48 hours critical reinforcements of military hardware and personnel for its overstretched peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, which is on the ve…
China celebrates Mao’s birthday, but events scaled back
BEIJING (Reuters) – China celebrated the 120th birthday of Mao Zedong, the founder of modern China, on Thursday, but with scaled-back festivities as President Xi Jinping embarks on broad economic reforms that have unsettled leftists.
Egypt arrests dozens under new anti-terror law
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt increased pressure on the Muslim Brotherhood on Thursday, detaining at least 38 of its supporters on suspicion of belonging to a terrorist organization the day after it was declared one by the government, security officials said…
Thai government rejects call to delay election after clashes erupt
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s government rejected a call from the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday to postpone a February vote after clashes between police and anti-government protesters in which a policeman was killed and nearly 100 people were h…
Inside Germany’s campaign to free Khodorkovsky
BERLIN/MOSCOW (Reuters) – One spring day in 2011 five people gathered around a small table at the Adlon Hotel in Berlin and hatched the beginnings of a plan to get former Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky out of prison.
Israeli court cancels mayoral vote in town divided by religion
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – An Israeli court dealt a blow on Thursday to the ultra-Orthodox community’s political hold over a town that has been a focus of national divisions between the Jewish state’s secular majority and its religious minority.
