Pakistan releases Indian prisoners as it strives to improve ties
WAGAH, Pakistan (Reuters) – Pakistan released 337 Indian prisoners, most of them fishermen, on Saturday in the latest sign that Pakistan’s new government wants to improve rocky ties between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
Afghanistan’s Karzai says no rush to sign U.S. security pact
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan is in no rush to sign a pact with the United States setting out how many U.S. troops will stay after a NATO mission ends next year and may even delay a decision until after a presidential election, President Hamid Karzai s…
Al Qaeda blames Hezbollah for Lebanon bombings
DUBAI (Reuters) – Al Qaeda’s North African branch blamed Lebanese Shi’ite Muslim militant group Hezbollah for twin bombs that hit the northern city of Tripoli on Friday and threatened retribution, a U.S.-based intelligence monitoring website reported o…
U.N. official arrives in Syria to push for chemical experts’ access
DAMASCUS (Reuters) – U.N. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Angela Kane arrived in Syria on Saturday to push for access to a suspected chemical weapons attack site for U.N. inspectors, who are already in Syria to investigate previous accusati…
Indian police make second arrest in Mumbai rape case
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian police arrested a second man in connection with the gang-rape of a journalist in Mumbai, an official said on Saturday, in a case that has drawn comparisons with an attack in December that led to nationwide protests and a re…
Egypt reopens border crossing with Gaza Strip
GAZA (Reuters) – Egypt reopened its border crossing with the Gaza Strip on Saturday after four days of it being closed, allowing stranded passengers to cross in and out of the Palestinian territory that is controlled by the Islamist Hamas group.
Four killed in oil industry helicopter crash off Scotland
LONDON (Reuters) – Four people were killed when a helicopter carrying oil workers crashed into the sea off Scotland’s Shetland islands, raising fresh questions about safety in the remote North Sea energy sector.
Iran’s Rouhani says chemical weapons killed people in Syria
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday acknowledged for the first time chemical weapons had killed people in ally Syria and called for the international community to prevent their use.
Critics say Putin’s Olympic security decree violates rights
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to tighten security in the Black Sea resort of Sochi during the 2014 Winter Olympics, imposing restrictions on freedom of movement and assembly that critics said violated human rig…
North Korea objects to sanctions ban on ski resort equipment
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea objected on Saturday to a ban on imports of equipment for a luxury ski resort mainly for the ruling elite, indicating toughened U.N. sanctions are impacting the impoverished state.
