Five people sentenced to jail for Costa Concordia disaster
ROME (Reuters) – Four Costa Concordia crew members and a company official were sentenced to jail in Italy on Saturday for their part in the 2012 cruise ship disaster that killed 32 people, leaving only Captain Francesco Schettino still on trial.
China detains six over death of watermelon vendor: report
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Chinese police have detained six security officials involved in a spat that led to the death of a watermelon vendor and sparked online fury over perceived abuses of power by city patrols.
Egypt has no intention of waging Syria ‘jihad’: minister
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt has no intention of a waging a holy war against Syria, but still supports the Syrian peoples’ desire for freedom, new Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy said on Saturday.
Kerry says Israel, Palestinians lay groundwork for peace talks
AMMAN (Reuters) – Israel and the Palestinians have laid the groundwork for resuming peace talks after an almost three-year stalemate, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday, although he cautioned the deal was not final and required more dipl…
Colombia’s FARC says holding U.S. soldier, willing to release
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s FARC rebels said late on Friday they were holding a U.S. soldier captured on June 20, but were willing to release him to a humanitarian commission as they pursue peace talks with the government.
Taliban-style edict for women spreads alarm in Afghan district
KABUL/DEH SALAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) – One of Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s main religious advisers will not overturn a decree issued by clerics in the north reimposing Taliban-style curbs on women, in another sign of returning conservatism as NATO…
Saudi suspect in underwear bomb plots trained others, U.S. says
ASPEN, Colo. (Reuters) – The United States believes the Saudi man suspected of designing underwear bombs for al Qaeda’s Yemeni affiliate has trained a small number of people on his advanced bomb-making techniques, a senior U.S. official said on Friday….
North Korean ship was carrying sugar donation, Cuba told Panama
PANAMA CITY/MIAMI (Reuters) – When a North Korean ship carrying Cuban arms was seized last week in Panama on suspicion of smuggling drugs, Cuba first said it was loaded with sugar for the people of North Korea, according to a Panamanian official famili…
Biden calls Brazil’s Rousseff over NSA spying tensions
BRASILIA (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Friday to try to smooth tensions caused by allegations that the United States spied on Brazilian Internet communications, Rousseff’s office said.
Panama checking for explosive material in North Korean ship
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) – Investigators unloading the cargo of a seized North Korean ship that carried arms from Cuba may have discovered explosive material on board, a senior Panamanian official said on Friday.
