Big palm oil’s pledge to preserve forests vexes Indonesia
JAKARTA (Reuters) – The Indonesian government is asking major palm oil companies to row back on the historic “no deforestation” pledges they made at last year’s United Nations climate change summit, officials and company sources say.
Portuguese president asks Passos Coelho to form new government
LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal’s president asked Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho on Tuesday to form a government which can ensure political stability following an inconclusive national election which denied the center-right leader a parliamentary major…
Ivory Coast opposition candidate suspends participation in presidential vote
ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Former Ivory Coast foreign minister turned opposition candidate Amara Essy said on Tuesday he had suspended his participation in this month’s presidential election, saying the process was undemocratic and dominated by the incumbent….
Pope Francis to visit Mexico in 2016
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis plans to make his first official trip to Mexico next year, a Vatican spokesman said on Tuesday, announcing the Argentine pontiff’s latest visit to the Americas.
German authorities accused of playing down refugee shelter sex crime reports
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s police union and women’s rights groups accused the authorities on Tuesday of playing down reports of harassment, sexual assault and even rape at refugee shelters because they feared a backlash against asylum seekers.
West, Ukraine, hail rebel decision to postpone disputed elections
KIEV (Reuters) – A decision by pro-Russian separatists to postpone local elections that Ukraine had said were illegitimate was welcomed on Tuesday by Kiev, the European Union, Washington and Moscow – the rebels’ patron – as a sign of progress in the fa…
Somali militants vow to welcome British peacekeepers ‘with fire’
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Somalia’s militant Islamist group al Shabaab pledged on Tuesday to greet British troops “with fire” when they arrive to provide support to a peacekeeping force in the conflict-ravaged country.
Abbas says does not want escalation with Israel
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday he did not want a spike in deadly violence in East Jerusalem and the Israeli-occupied West Bank to spiral into armed confrontation with Israel.
Portugal president asks PM Passos Coelho to form new government
LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal’s president said on Tuesday he had asked Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho to begin consultations on forming a government that can ensure political stability in the euro zone nation.
Islamic State kills 22 in attacks on Yemen government, Gulf troops, mosque
ADEN, Yemen (Reuters) – Islamic State suicide bombers killed 22 people in attacks on Yemen’s government and its Gulf Arab coalition ally in the port city of Aden and on a Houthi-run mosque in the capital Sanaa on Tuesday, the jihadist group and state m…
