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Ivory Coast jails ex-first lady for 20 years over poll violence

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – A court in Ivory Coast sentenced former first lady Simone Gbagbo on Tuesday to 20 years in prison for her role in a 2011 post-election crisis in which around 3,000 people were killed, her lawyer said. Gbagbo, who is also wanted by the Inter... More »

Myanmar police clash with protesting students

LETPADAN, Myanmar (Reuters) – – Myanmar police beat students with batons and detained some of them as they broke up a group of about 200 protesters who had been locked in a standoff with security forces for more than a week, a Reuters witness said. The student... More »

Xinjiang boss says Chinese extremists fighting with Islamic State

BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese extremists have joined the Islamic State and authorities have broken up gangs that returned from fighting abroad, the Communist Party boss of China’s western Xinjiang region said on Tuesday, arguing that secrecy was needed to save l... More »

U.S. envoy to South Korea to maintain open stance despite attack

SEOUL (Reuters) – The U.S. ambassador to South Korea said on Tuesday he plans to maintain his open, approachable style despite being slashed by a knife-wielding Korean nationalist five days ago, causing him wounds that required 80 stitches in his face. Lippert... More »

Iraq says Islamic State militants raze ancient Hatra city

BAGHDAD/ERBIL,Iraq (Reuters) – Islamic State militants have destroyed ancient remains of the 2,000-year-old city of Hatra in northern Iraq, officials said on Saturday, in their latest attack on Iraqi antiquities which the United Nations condemned as barbarism.... More »

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Britain: EU to prepare possible new sanctions on Russia over Ukraine

WARSAW (Reuters) – Britain’s foreign minister said on Friday the European Union would prepare possible new sanctions on Russia for its involvement in the Ukraine conflict that could be imposed quickly if the Minsk ceasefire agreement is broken. Both Kiev and p... More »

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Palestinian vehicle attack injures five in Jerusalem: police

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – A Palestinian motorist rammed his vehicle into a group of people standing near a Jerusalem tram stop on Friday, injuring at least five, including four security officials, Israeli police said. None of those hit was seriously injured. The i... More »

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Top U.S. diplomat cautious on sending arms to Ukraine

BERLIN (Reuters) – The second-highest ranking U.S. diplomat promised on Friday to maintain pressure on Russia via economic sanctions to get it to change tack on Ukraine but appeared to rule out arming Kiev, saying Moscow would easily be able to send many more ... More »

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Kremlin critic Navalny walks out of Moscow jail

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny walked out of a Moscow detention center on Friday, a week after fellow opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was shot dead in what his allies say was a political killing aimed at intimidating them. Wearing a... More »

Japan eyes MI6-style spy agency as it seeks to shed pacifist past

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan is looking into creating an overseas intelligence agency possibly modeled on Britain’s MI6 spy service, ruling party lawmakers say, 70 years after Allied victors dismantled Japan’s fearsome military intelligence apparatus following Worl... More »

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China defense budget rise to defy slowing economy

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s defense budget this year will rise about 10 percent compared with 2014, a top government official said on Wednesday, outpacing the slowing economy as the country ramps up investment in high-tech equipment such as submarines and stea... More »

More than 30 killed in coal mine blast in rebel-held east Ukraine

DONETSK, Ukraine (Reuters) – A blast at a coal mine in the eastern Ukrainian rebel stronghold of Donetsk killed more than 30 people, a local official said on Wednesday, with dozens more miners who were underground at the time unaccounted for. Miners’ relatives... More »

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After Netanyahu warnings, U.S., Iran resume talks

MONTREUX, Switzerland (Reuters) – The U.S. and Iranian foreign ministers began a third day of talks over Iran’s nuclear program on Wednesday, just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had warned that the deal being negotiated was a serious mis... More »

Documentary on 2012 Delhi gang rape banned in India

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – A documentary film about the fatal gang rape of a woman in New Delhi in 2012 has been banned in India over government concerns about derogatory comments made by one of the rapists and the violation of guidelines set for filmmakers. Leslee... More »

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Hong Kong arrests 38 as anti-China protesters scuffle with police

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong police arrested 38 people after a group of about 400 demonstrators clashed with police, in the latest sign of tension caused by China’s influence in the city. Protesters in Yuen Long, in the New Territories just a stone’s throw ... More »

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Egypt’s Sisi meets new Saudi King to discuss Middle East crises

RIYADH (Reuters) – Egypt’s President Abdel Fatteh el Sisi met Saudi Arabia’s King Salman in Riyadh on Sunday for the pair’s first in-depth talks on regional issues at a time of unprecedented turmoil in the Middle East. The meeting was aimed at strengthening bi... More »

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Iraq army and Shi’ite militias launch attacks north of Baghdad

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq’s armed forces, backed by Shi’ite militia, attacked Islamic State strongholds north of Baghdad on Monday at the start of a campaign aimed at driving them out of the mainly Sunni Muslim province of Salahuddin. The offensive is the bigge... More »

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French lawmaker faces party sanctions for Syria trip

PARIS (Reuters) – A French lawmaker who went to Damascus for the first talks with Syrian officials since the 2012 closure of France’s embassy there faces possible ejection from the ruling Socialist Party, its chairman said on Thursday. The possible sanction fo... More »

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German conservatives back Greek aid extension in test vote

BERLIN (Reuters) – An overwhelming majority of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives supported an extension of the Greek bailout in a test ballot on Thursday, one day before a vote in the Bundestag lower house of parliament, according to participants... More »

Reunions and ransoms: a day online in Myanmar’s Rohingya camps

THAE CHAUNG, Myanmar (Reuters) – In this teeming camp for displaced Rohingya Muslims in western Myanmar, it’s easy to overlook the internet huts. The raw emotion they generate is much harder to ignore. The huts have bamboo walls, thatched roofs and – most impo... More »

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Kiev likely to order heavy artillery withdrawal: source

KIEV (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is likely to order government forces to start pullng back heavy weapons in the country’s east on Thursday under a Feb. 12 peace deal, a military source said. “We expect the statement by the president later ... More »

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Australian PM Abbott announces fresh security crackdown

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Monday announced a national security crackdown that could deny welfare payments to people seen as potential threats, strip the passports of those with dual nationality and curb travel overseas. Abbott... More »

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French aircraft carrier begins Iraq operations: French sources

PARIS (Reuters) – France’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier has started military operations against Islamic State in Iraq, a French army source said on Monday. “The carrier and its naval group has officially started missions as part of its Chammal operation ... More »

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Hungary’s right-wing alliance loses two-thirds majority

BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungary’s ruling right-wing alliance lost its two-thirds majority in parliament after the opposition won a by-election on Sunday, hampering Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chances of changing the constitution and passing major legislation. O... More »

Egypt court sentences prominent activist to five years in jail

CAIRO (Reuters) – An Egyptian court sentenced prominent activist Alaa Abdel Fattah to five years in jail on Monday for violating a law that seeks to curtail demonstrations, legislation branded repressive by rights groups. The court erupted into chants of “Down... More »

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Greece readies reform promises

ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s government prepared reform measures on Sunday to secure a financial lifeline from the euro zone, but was attacked for selling “illusions” to voters after failing to keep a promise to extract the country from its international bailou... More »

Greece, euro zone agree four-month loan extension, avert crunch

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Euro zone finance ministers agreed in principle on Friday to extend Greece’s financial rescue by four months, averting a potential cash crunch in March that could have forced the country out of the currency area. The deal, to be ratified o... More »

Homes destroyed as twin cyclones slam into northern Australia

ROCKHAMPTON, Australia (Reuters) – A powerful cyclone slammed into northeast Australia on Friday, destroying homes, upending trees, cutting power lines and causing flash floods, while a second storm severed communications to a northern island where heavy damag... More »

Trains collide near Zurich, causing injuries

ZURICH (Reuters) – Two passenger trains collided in Switzerland on Friday, causing injuries and disrupting commuter routes into Zurich, police and rail operator SBB said. One of the trains derailed in the accident in Rafz, a small town near the German border a... More »

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Turkey says joint U.S. training of Syria rebels to start in March

ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday Turkey and the United States aimed to start a program to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels early next month. The United States and Turkey signed an agreement on Thursday to trai... More »

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Fighting persists in east Ukraine despite ceasefire

KIEV/VUHLEHIRSK, Ukraine (Reuters) – Fighting persisted in east Ukraine on Friday despite new European efforts to ensure a ceasefire takes hold. The Ukrainian military said pro-Russian separatists had attacked positions held by government troops 49 times in th... More »

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Obama rejects as ‘ugly lie’ notion that West at war with Islam

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday urged countries to tackle violent Islamist militancy around the world and rejected as “an ugly lie” suggestions that the West was at war with Islam and embroiled in a clash of civilizations. Obama ... More »

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Germany holds up Greek bid for euro zone loan extension

ATHENS/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Germany rejected a Greek proposal for a six-month extension to its euro zone loan agreement on Thursday, saying it was “not a substantial solution” because it did not commit Athens to stick to the conditions of its international bai... More »

Thai cabinet approves $154 million budget for drought-hit areas

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Wednesday that his government had approved a 5 billion baht ($154 million) budget to alleviate drought in the country. Thailand is battling drought in eight of 76 provinces. Earlier this month t... More »

Greece says will submit loan extension request on Wednesday

ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s government confirmed it would ask on Wednesday for an extension to its loan agreement with the euro zone, which it distinguishes from its full bailout program. “Let’s wait today for the request for an extension of the loan contract ... More »

Blood-soaked truck symbolizes Boko Haram’s war without borders

WAZA, Cameroon (Reuters) – A Nigerian armored personnel carrier spattered with blood, riddled with bullets and towed into an army base in northern Cameroon is a potent reminder of Boko Haram’s ability to strike across borders in its six-year war for an Islamic... More »

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EU patience frays as Greek PM refuses ‘blackmail’

BRUSSELS/ATHENS (Reuters) – A war of words between Greece and EU paymaster Germany escalated on Tuesday with Athens’ new leftist prime minister rejecting what he called “blackmail” to extend an international bailout and vowing to rush through laws to reverse l... More »

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Heavy shelling hits Ukraine town where rebels reject ceasefire

VUHLEHIRSK, Ukraine (Reuters) – A government-held town in east Ukraine sandwiched between two rebel-controlled areas came under heavy shelling on Monday, a day after the start of a ceasefire that Russian-backed separatists say does not apply there. A Kiev mili... More »

Danish police charge two with aiding Copenhagen shooter

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Danish police said on Monday they had charged two people with aiding the man suspected of shooting dead two people in attacks on a synagogue and an event promoting free speech in Copenhagen at the weekend. The shootings, which Prime Mini... More »

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Egypt bombs Islamic State targets in Libya

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s air force bombed Islamic State targets inside Libya on Monday, a day after the group released a video appearing to show the beheading of 21 Egyptians there. It was the first time Egypt confirmed launching air strikes against the group... More »

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German anti-euro party eyes first seats in western state

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s euroskeptic Alternative for Germany (AfD) party may win seats in its first western state on Sunday, buoyed by worries Greece’s new anti-austerity government could unleash a fresh wave of turmoil in the euro zone. The right-leaning ... More »

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Greece, Troika start talks on common reform ground

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Greece and its international creditors started talks on Friday on reforms needed to keep the country financed, increasing the possibility of a interim compromise deal between the euro zone and Athens at a ministerial meeting on Monday. The... More »

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Dispute over Israeli arts prize heightens political tension

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed down in a fight over Israel’s most prestigious arts and sciences award on Friday, saying he would not meddle in the prize days after removing several of its judges for not reflecting “Israeli socie... More »

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Post-bailout Portugal shrugs off Greek contagion risks

LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal has largely assuaged fears it is the euro zone’s weakest link after Greece, although it could still be stung if a confrontation between the left-wing government in Athens and European creditors ends in “Grexit”. At the height of Eur... More »

Japan global PR message could misfire with focus on wartime past

TOKYO (Reuters) – A push by Japan to correct perceived bias in accounts of the country’s wartime past is creating a row that risks muddling the positive message in a mammoth public relations campaign to win friends abroad. The PR campaign, which has a budget o... More »

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Nine more Ukrainian servicemen killed in the east

KIEV/DONETSK, Ukraine (Reuters) – Nine Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 26 wounded in fighting with Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine’s eastern regions in the past 24 hours, a Kiev military spokesman said on Monday. The spokesman, Vyacheslav Selezny... More »

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Former South Korea spy chief gets jail for election meddling

SEOUL (Reuters) – A South Korean appeals court sentenced a former head of the national spy agency to three years in jail on Monday for meddling in the 2012 presidential election and helping Park Geun-hye win the vote. The Seoul High Court said Won Sei-hoon, wh... More »

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East Timor to decide on new prime minister this week

DILI (Reuters) – East Timor’s president is expected to decide on a new prime minister by the end of this week after accepting the resignation of independence hero Xanana Gusmao, the government said in a statement on Monday. Gusmao, 68, a guerrilla leader who h... More »

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Israeli parties hunt ‘caviar vote’ before March election

ASHKELON, Israel (Reuters) – In this seaside city once ruled by the Greeks and Phoenicians but now largely populated by Russians, the talk in the caviar-stocked delis and jewelry stores is of upcoming elections and Israel’s powerful Russian vote. After the col... More »

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Bruised Australian PM Abbott survives leadership challenge

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott survived a challenge to his leadership on Monday after his ruling Liberal Party voted down a motion to unseat him after weeks of infighting, but the attempted revolt appears likely to weaken his grip on ... More »

U.S. urges euro zone leaders to compromise with Athens: FT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration is pushing euro zone leaders to compromise more with Greece’s new government as fears grow that a protracted budget stand-off could damage the global economy, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. The U.S. lobb... More »

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Greek finance minister says euro will collapse if Greece exits

ROME (Reuters) – If Greece is forced out of the euro zone, other countries will inevitably follow and the currency bloc will collapse, Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said on Sunday, in comments which drew a rebuke from Italy. Greece’s new leftist gove... More »

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Kerry denies split between U.S. and Europe on Russia policy

MUNICH (Reuters) – Secretary of State John Kerry denied on Sunday that a split has emerged between Washington and Europe over how to handle Russia, after leading U.S. senators sharply criticized Germany and other countries who oppose sending arms to the Ukrain... More »

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Taiwan plane black boxes reveal attempts to regain thrust

TAIPEI (Reuters) – A TransAsia plane that crashed into a river in Taipei, killing 35 people, failed to produce enough thrust after take-off, authorities said on Friday, revealing one engine was turned off and restarted. Flight GE235 was carrying 58 passengers ... More »

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U.S. lawmakers begin push for more sanctions on North Korea

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation on Thursday to broaden sanctions against North Korea by imposing stiffer punishments on foreign companies doing business with Pyongyang, a measure that could impact mostly on Chinese firms. “In the w... More »

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Islamic State in Syria seen under strain but far from collapse

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Islamic State’s defeat in Kobani and other recent setbacks in Syria suggest the group is under strain but far from collapse in the Syrian half of its self-declared caliphate. Islamic State’s high-profile defeat by Kurdish militia backed by U... More »

Fire at warehouse in southern China kills 17

HONG KONG (Reuters) – A fire at a warehouse in China has killed at least 17 people, state news agency Xinhua said on Friday, the latest disaster in a country with a poor record on work safety. The fire broke out at on Thursday afternoon on the fourth floor of ... More »

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Australian PM to face leadership vote after party-room revolt

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Embattled Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he will fight a challenge to his leadership at a party-room meeting next week after disgruntled government lawmakers on Friday sought to oust him following weeks of divisive speculation. A... More »

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Syrian air strikes kill 82 after rebel rocket attack: monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian air force strikes killed 82 people in an opposition district outside Damascus following rocket attacks by rebels that hit the government-controlled center of the capital, a monitoring group said on Friday. The Syrian Observatory for H... More »

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Islamic State flags appear, then disappear, in Bosnian village

GORNJA MAOCA, Bosnia (Reuters) – Flags and emblems of Islamic State, pictured on Wednesday on houses in a Bosnian village, disappeared on Thursday under threat of action by police wary of the dangers posed by radical Islamists returning from Syria and Iraq. Th... More »

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EU’s Moscovici says Greece must respect commitments

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – EU Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said fellow members of the bloc were willing to work with the new Greek government to keep Athens in the euro zone but stressed it must respect bailout commitments made by the previous administrat... More »

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ECB cancels soft treatment of Greek debt in warning to Athens

FRANKFURT/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Central Bank abruptly canceled its acceptance of Greek bonds in return for funding on Wednesday, shifting the burden onto Athens’ central bank to finance its lenders and isolating Greece unless it strikes a new refor... More »

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Greece rules out aid from Russia, argues case in Europe

NICOSIA/LONDON (Reuters) – Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras ruled out seeking aid from Russia and said on Monday he would pursue negotiations for a new debt agreement with European partners, but saw little sign of compromise from Germany. Tsipras and his fi... More »

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Islamic State in Syria withdrawing from Kobani outskirts: monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Islamic State militants are withdrawing from areas around the Syrian town of Kobani, a group monitoring the war said on Monday, after Kurdish and Arab fighters met little resistance as they seized new ground overnight. Kurdish ground forces,... More »

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Rebels pound Ukrainian troops after peace talks fail

YENAKIEVE, Ukraine (Reuters) – Separatist rockets streaked across hills in eastern Ukraine on Monday as rebels pounded the positions of Ukrainian government troops holding a strategic rail town while both sides pressed ahead with mobilizing more forces for com... More »

Sex offence trial of ex-IMF head Strauss-Kahn opens

LILLE, France (Reuters) – Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former IMF chief tipped to become French president before a New York hotel maid accused him of sexual assault in 2011, went on trial in France on Monday in a separate case of alleged procuring of prostitute... More »