Eritrea sees U.N. scrutiny, migrant exodus as part of ‘conspiracy’
GENEVA (Reuters) – A top Eritrean diplomat said human traffickers, not rights abuses, were driving people to leave the impoverished African country, after a U.N. body accused the government of presiding over forced labor, torture and other rights viola…
White House says ‘not enough’ Syrian rebels being trained
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House acknowledged on Tuesday that the 60 Syrian rebel fighters the Pentagon is training to battle Islamic State was “not enough” but said rebels were being carefully screened before being admitted into the program.
Pope urges Latin America to find unity through common faith
QUITO (Reuters) – Pope Francis called on people across Latin America to turn to their common Christian roots as an inspiration to resolve differences when he said Mass for nearly one million Catholics in the Ecuadorean capital on Tuesday.
EU tax havens obstacle to ending poverty, charity says
NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Two European tax havens receive more than a quarter of all global foreign direct investment, ActionAid said on Tuesday, calling for an international deal to tackle tax avoidance and reduce poverty.
Sierra Leone urged to ban FGM after backing women’s rights treaty
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Sierra Leone’s decision to back an international treaty on the rights of women in Africa could lead to a new law banning female genital mutilation (FGM) in a country where the practice is rife, campaigners said on …
Homegrown jihadists with Libya ties target Tunisia’s democracy
SOUSSE, Tunisia(Reuters) – In late 2013, two young Tunisians returned from a jihadi camp in Libya planning to blow themselves up among foreign tourists. It was a spectacular failure – one bomb malfunctioned; the other killed only the bomber on the sand…
Israel says Islamic State’s Sinai assault aimed to help Hamas get arms
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel accused Hamas on Tuesday of supporting last week’s assaults by Islamic State affiliates on Egyptian forces in the Sinai in hope of freeing up arms smuggling to the Gaza Strip.
United States welcomes Afghan-Taliban talks: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States welcomes talks between the Afghan government and Taliban, the White House said on Tuesday after Afghanistan announced it had sent a peace delegation to Pakistan for talks.
Canada Valentine’s Day massacre suspects appear in court
HALIFAX (Reuters) – A Canadian man and American woman accused of plotting a shopping mall massacre in the Atlantic Canadian city of Halifax appeared in court on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing before a trial begins on the planned mass shooting.
Three men gored as Spain’s San Fermin bull-running week begins
PAMPLONA, Spain (Reuters) – Three men were gored and 10 others taken to hospital on the first day of Pamplona’s week-long San Fermin festival in the northern Spanish city where bulls chase runners in red scarves through the streets.
