15 militants, a ranger killed in northwestern Pakistan
The Pakistani military said that 15 militants and one soldier were killed in fighting on Thursday as the army attempted to seize control of a remote valley in the country’s northwest. The military has faced fierce resistance from the Taliban and its allies in the Tirah Valley in the Khyber region, with troops setting out to dislodge insurgents from the heights above the valley six days ago, Media said. "Fresh clashes started early Thursday when security forces launched another operation to secure control of the valley," a military official said.
Palestinian PM tenders resignation
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has offered his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas, officials in the West Bank said. Abbas has reportedly not responded to Fayyad's offer. Tensions between the two officials have risen in recent months, particularly over the power to hire and fire Cabinet ministers. Fayyad enjoys strong support from the international community. Officials said he offered his resignation in February, while others claimed last week. The premier first told Abbas late last year that he wanted to resign.
Central US spring storms, tornadoes disrupts power, damage properties
Spring storms and tornadoes in the central US have triggered heavy snows and rains, as well as high winds that lead to power outages and extensive property damage across the region. At least three residents were taken to hospital with injuries in Van Buren County, Arkansas, after a tornado tore through their home. Some 4,000 residents in the area were also affected by electricity blackouts, local officials said.
4,300 Syrians killed in airstrikes
Airstrikes against Syrian civilians have killed at least 4,300 people since last July, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report published Thursday. Syrian government fighter jets have targeted bakeries, breadlines and hospitals in the country's north, according to the international rights group. HRW said its activists inspected 52 sites in northern Syria, documenting 59 attacks by the Syrian Air Force that killed at least 152 people.
Taiwan advisory against visit to S. Korea
Taiwanese government has become the first to advise its citizens not to go to South Korea, as tensions in the region continue to mount. The country’s foreign ministry advised residents to delay trips for business, holidays and education, citing the “unclear situation” in South Korea. The announcement comes as Seoul and Washington raised their levels of combat readiness in preparation for the possible test launch of mid-range missiles by North Korea.
Uruguay approves marriage equality
President Jose Mujica's ruling Broad Front majority is expected to institute the law within 10 days, making it possible for couples to adopt children, undergo in-vitro fertilization procedures, as well as unilaterally request and be granted a divorce.Uruguay lawmakers voted on Wednesday to become the second South American country to legalize same-sex marriage. Seventy-one of the 92 Congressmen voted for the bill, which was met with cheers from audience members when the decision was finalized. The passage Wednesday, which comes a week after the bill easily passed through the country's Senate, made Uruguay the third nation in all of the Americas, following Canada and Argentina, to affirm marriage equality. Nine of the 50 states in the US have done the same.
Bomb kills 2 soldiers, in southern Thailand
Two soldiers were killed and six were wounded in a roadside bombing in Thailand's insurgency-plagued south, police said Thursday. Suspected insurgents detonated an improvised bomb hidden on the road surface in Pattani province's Panarae district, according to Police Col. Manit Yimsai. The soldiers were in two armored vehicles traveling Wednesday night to inspect damage from an earlier militant attack. One of the personnel carriers was badly damaged in the attack, which was one of 36 incidents overnight in Pattani.
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