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Yemen rebels stay away as UN urges all parties to talk

Only a comprehensive solution involving all parties to the Yemen crisis can resolve the conflict, the UN envoy to the war-ravaged country said Sunday at a conference boycotted by rebels. “There is no solution to this crisis but with a comprehensive dialogue that will not exclude anyone,” Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told the meeting of Yemeni political parties, intellectuals and civic groups in the Saudi capital. He called on all

Syria army pushes IS jihadists back from ancient Palmyra

Syrian troops pushed Islamic State group jihadists back from the ancient city of Palmyra on Sunday, easing fears over the world heritage site, after fighting that left hundreds dead. The toll comprised 123 soldiers and loyalist militiamen, 115 IS fighters as well as 57 civilians, dozens of whom were executed by the jihadists, the Observatory said, quoting sources on the ground. On Saturday the jihadists pressed their offensive and seized

Monitor: Islamic State dead in Syria raid climbs to 32

At least 32 Islamic State members, including four of its leaders, were killed in air strikes and a U.S. special forces raid that targeted the group in eastern Syria, a group monitoring the Syrian war said on Sunday. U.S. officials said the raid killed a senior Islamic State leader identified as a Tunisian who helped to manage its black-market sales of oil and gas to raise funds. British-based monitoring group

Condemned Boston Marathon bomber may spend years in prison during appeal

By Elizabeth Barber BOSTON (Reuters) – Condemned to die for his part in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is likely to await his fate over the course of years, if not decades, locked up in grim prisons under extreme conditions while his lawyers appeal his sentence. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons has not yet decided where Tsarnaev will go, but he is likely end up in one of

Mozart-loving chickens may answer quest for healthier nugget

By Naveen Thukral and Gavin Maguire YONG PENG, Malaysia (Reuters) – In barns filled with classical music and lighting that changes to match the hues outside, rows of chickens are fed a diet rich in probiotics, a regimen designed to remove the need for the drugs and chemicals that have tainted the global food chain. As food giants face growing pressure to offer healthier produce, Southeast Asian poultry firm Kee