EU on course to lift Belarus sanctions despite vote concerns
MINSK/LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) – Belarus’s election fell short of democratic standards, monitors said on Monday after President Alexander Lukashenko won a fifth term, but Europe still looked set to ease sanctions as France and Germany welcomed a lack of po…
Chinese ‘Ivory Queen’ innocent, will fight Tanzanian charges: lawyer
DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) – A prominent Chinese businesswoman, dubbed the “Ivory Queen”, is innocent of Tanzanian charges that she financed a criminal network responsible for smuggling tusks from more than 350 elephants, her lawyer said on Monday.
Nigeria’s Buhari sends second batch of cabinet nominees to parliament
LAGOS (Reuters) – Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has submitted a second list of candidates for his cabinet to the upper house of parliament for approval, Senate President Bukola Saraki said on his Twitter feed on Monday.
NASA chief says ban on Chinese partnerships is temporary
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The United States should include China in its human space projects or face being left out of new ventures to send people beyond the International Space Station, NASA chief Charles Bolden said on Monday.
Dutch Safety Board set to say MH17 downed by Russian-made missile, but not point finger
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Dutch Safety Board, issuing long-awaited findings on Tuesday of its investigation into the crash of a Malaysian passenger plane over eastern Ukraine, is expected to say it was downed by a Russian-made Buk missile but not say w…
Burundi asks Belgium to replace envoy, in latest sign of strained ties
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Burundi has asked its former colonial power Belgium to replace its ambassador because it has lost confidence in him, a senior official said on Monday.
Guinea opposition leaders want election scrapped, citing fraud
CONAKRY (Reuters) – All seven opposition leaders who contested Guinea’s presidential election against incumbent Alpha Conde said on Monday the result should be annulled because of fraud.
PKK to keep to ceasefire as conflict drags on in Turkey’s southeast
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A top Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) commander was quoted on Monday as saying the group would stick to a unilateral ceasefire announced at the weekend despite Turkish air strikes against its positions in southeast Turkey and norther…
Albanian court clears ex-central bank governor of abuse charges
TIRANA (Reuters) – Albania’s former central bank governor was found not guilty on Monday of abuse of office over an employee’s theft of millions of dollars from the bank’s vault and the purchase of a central hotel for offices.
Russia says group trained by IS in Syria wanted to attack Moscow transport
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A group of Russians arrested with a bomb were preparing to attack Moscow’s public transport system and included people trained by Islamic State in Syria, Russian security services said on Monday.
