Buying sex a criminal offense under controversial Northern Ireland law
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Men who use prostitutes in Northern Ireland face up to a year in jail or a fine under a new law criminalizing the purchase of sex, which came into force on Monday, and which advocacy groups say will help stamp out …
Libya edges closer to economic collapse as currency dives
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libya’s public finances, wracked by a dramatic loss in oil revenue that has been exacerbated by a power struggle between rival governments, are foundering.
Iranian planes that drew U.S. sanctions to fly outside country: Fars
DUBAI (Reuters) – An Iranian airline that acquired nine passenger jets in defiance of U.S. sanctions will begin using them on international routes this week, the Fars news agency reported on Monday.
Islamic State suicide attack kills 38 Iraqi policemen
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Islamic State militants drove a tank rigged with explosives into a base south of the Iraqi city of Samarra on Monday, killing 38 policemen, military and police sources said.
Open Gaza border hinges on end to rocket fire: German foreign minister
GAZA (Reuters) – Germany’s foreign minister said during a visit to Gaza on Monday that any opening of the enclave’s borders and economic recovery from last year’s devastating war hinged mainly on ensuring no more rockets are fired at Israel.
Russia dismisses EU criticism of travel blacklist
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia criticised the European Union on Monday for allowing the publication of a list of European officials barred from entering the country in the diplomatic fallout over the Ukraine crisis.
Egyptian court adjourns Al Jazeera journalists trial to Thursday
CAIRO (Reuters) – A Cairo court on Monday adjourned the trial of three Al Jazeera television journalists for four days after hearing the prosecution’s closing argument that their reporting had endangered Egypt’s national security.
Ally of Germany’s Merkel: Britain’s EU treaty change plan is unrealistic
LONDON (Reuters) – An ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday it would be unrealistic for British Prime Minister David Cameron to expect to achieve changes to European Union treaties before the country holds a referendum on its membershi…
Stung by FIFA furor, Qatar’s soft power at risk
DOHA (Reuters) – “It will blow over” tends to be Qatar’s unofficial response to criticism of its World Cup bid, but with a FIFA corruption scandal exploding onto the world’s front pages, the Gulf state has glumly realized it may have a real fight on it…
In Mazar, Afghans enjoy life as fighting draws near
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters) – It is late afternoon and slivers of sunlight stream in through an exhaust fan, cutting through multicolored strobe lights and shisha smoke in a basement karaoke club, one of more than a dozen in the northern Afgh…
