13 Migrants Found Suffocated in Libyan Shipping Container

Bodies of 13 African migrants have been found inside a shipping container in western Libya. Officials of the Red Crescent in Libya said the victims appeared to have been locked inside the container for several days while being transported to a coastal town. The victims included a girl, 13, and a 14-year-old boy. Another 56 …

US Imposes Sanctions on Alleged Syria Militant Leaders

The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday placed two alleged leaders of the militant group Nusra Front in Syria on its sanctions blacklist. U.S. authorities said the two men, Iyad Nazmi Salih Khalil and Bassam Ahmad al-Hasri, helped oversee Nusra’s operations in Syria, the Treasury Department said in a statement. The U.S. action orders American companies …

Tehran Rally Highlights Iranian Support for Afghan Refugees on Syrian Front

After at first covertly sending thousands of undocumented Afghans to fight on the Syrian front, Iran is trumpeting their sacrifice with increasingly public funerals for the fallen and a giant rally planned for Friday in a Tehran square. Authorities in Kabul and human rights groups have roundly criticized the Iranian government for sending Afghans living …

Dutch Lawmakers Vote In Favor Of EU-Ukraine Deal

The Netherlands’ lower house of parliament has voted for the ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, leaving a vote in the upper house — the Dutch Senate — as a final hurdle before the deal, which was signed in March 2014, finally can enter into force. …

Moody’s Sticks to Initial Assessment of Trump, US Economy

Before Donald Trump won the November election, many analysts were sharply critical of his economic proposals. Some predicted big declines in financial markets, hiring slowdowns and a heightened risk of recession. But just a little more than a month since Trump became the 45th U.S. president, U.S. stocks have enjoyed the longest winning streak in …

Moody’s Economist Sticks to His Prediction: Trump Bad for Economy

Before Donald Trump won the election, many analysts were sharply critical of his economic proposals. However, in Trump’s first month in office, U.S. stocks have hit a series of record highs and consumer confidence improved. Did analysts get it wrong? Economist Mark Zandi, an early critic of Trump’s economic plans, said it’s still too soon …

Indian PM Urges Farsighted, Balanced US View on Work Visas

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the United States to have a “balanced and farsighted” perspective on visas that enable thousands of skilled Indian professionals to work in the United States and sustain India’s booming $150 billion software industry. The Indian leader made his call for an open mind on work visas at a …

Questions Abound Over Salafism In Kyrgyzstan

Religious scholars say the fundamentalist Salafi movement of Islam, widely practiced in Saudi Arabia, is gaining ground in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz officials have responded by banning several groups they identify as Salafi extremists and prosecuting clerics accused of promoting radical ideas. But the size of the movement and its influence remain unclear, as does the exact …

Russian Supreme Court Scraps Conviction of Opposition Activist

Russia’s Supreme Court on Wednesday canceled the conviction of prominent anti-Kremlin activist Ildar Dadin and ordered his release from jail, Interfax news agency reported. Dadin, 34, was sentenced to three years in prison – reduced to two and a half on appeal – in December 2015 for a series of peaceful one-man protests against the …

Mattis Welcomes Naming of Trump’s Top Security Adviser, Pentagon Says

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis welcomed the naming of Lieutenant General Herbert Raymond McMaster as the new national security adviser, a Pentagon spokesman said on Tuesday. U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday named McMaster as his new national security adviser, choosing a military officer known for speaking his mind and challenging his superiors. “Secretary Mattis …