Popular News
Costa Cruises offers compensation to rescued passengers (Reuters)
Reuters - Costa Cruises has offered 11,000 euros ($14,500) in compensation to each of the more than 3,000 passengers aboard its liner that ran aground and capsized two weeks ago, Italian consumer groups said on Friday.
Taliban willing to compromise, Afghan negotiators say (Reuters)
Reuters - Senior Afghan peace negotiators believe the Taliban are willing to significantly soften past hardline ideologies, with its leaders already laying the ground for possible peace talks in the Gulf state of Qatar.
Kidnapped Norwegian freed in Yemen (Reuters)
Reuters - A Norwegian working for the United Nations was freed on Friday, nearly two weeks after being kidnapped in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, the Interior Ministry said.
Iran could ban EU oil exports next week: lawmaker (Reuters)
Reuters - A law to be debated in Iran's parliament on Sunday could halt exports of oil to the European Union as early as next week, the semi-official Fars news agency quoted a lawmaker as saying on Friday.
Syria: Are Captured Iranians Military Men or Engineers? (Time.com)
Time.com - The revolt against President Assad has long alleged that Iran has sent soldiers to prop up the regime. Their latest proof, however, may not quite satisfy doubts about the claim
Argentine sentenced in Bolivia bribery scandal (AP)
AP - A Bolivian court has sentenced an Argentine businessman in absentia to six years in prison for corruption in a case that also ensnared a close collaborator of President Evo Morales.