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Taliban announce plans to ramp up attacks in Afghanistan

The Afghan Taliban on Wednesday announced the start of its annual spring offensive, warning it would ramp up attacks on foreign embassies and government officials, as well as military targets, starting on Friday. The Islamist militant group has been fighting the Afghan government and its foreign backers since it was ousted from power by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in 2001. “If the foreign occupiers really want to relieve themselves from this

Japan PM Abe meets China's Xi, says to work for better ties

By Linda Sieg and Kanupriya Kapoor TOKYO/JAKARTA (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a summit in Indonesia on Wednesday, the latest sign of a thaw between the Asian rivals that came despite an awkward diplomatic backdrop. Abe told reporters after the meeting that the two leaders agreed to work for better relations and contribute to regional stability by

'Dozens killed' in rebel-IS clashes near Damascus

At least 42 fighters were killed in 24 hours of fierce fighting between Islamist rebels and the Islamic State group in Syria’s Damascus province, a monitoring group said Wednesday. “At least 30 Islamist rebels and 12 fighters from IS were killed in fighting since Tuesday” in the hilly region of Qalamun, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Meanwhile, at least 11 people were killed in regime bombardment of two

London Mayor Boris Johnson hits the UK campaign trail

With the polls deadlocked ahead of an election, Prime Minister David Cameron campaigned Wednesday with Boris Johnson, one of the Conservative party’s most popular politicians who also has his eye on the top job. Johnson, the twice elected mayor of London, had been keeping a low profile during the campaign for the May 7 vote but this week has made a string of appearances with top Tories in a bid

Indian farmer commits suicide at protest in capital

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the nation was “deeply shattered and disappointed” over the farmer’s death. “At no point must the hardworking farmer think he is alone. The Delhi police announced an investigation into the sequence of events leading to the farmer’s death. The tree was several metres from the stage where Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and members of his party were due to speak against the national government’s

U.S. top court makes it easier for people to sue the government

By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday made it easier for people to sue the federal government by ruling in favor of plaintiffs in two separate cases including one involving a Hong Kong woman who was strip-searched while in immigration detention in Oregon. President Barack Obama’s administration had asked the court to impose a strict deadline for such lawsuits under a law called the Federal