Italy to begin naval exercises off Libya
ROME (Reuters) – Italy will begin annual naval exercises this week near the coast of Libya, where a breakdown in order has allowed tens of thousands of migrants to try to reach Europe by boat and increased fears of attacks by Islamist militants.
Bangladesh pays tribute to U.S. blogger killed in machete attack
DHAKA (Reuters) – Bangladeshis gathered on Sunday to pay tribute to an American blogger and critic of religious extremism who was hacked to death in Dhaka, in the latest of a series of attacks on writers in the Muslim-majority nation.
Pope Francis prays for teenager killed in Venezuela protest
ROME (Reuters) – Pope Francis called on Sunday for an end to political violence in Venezuela and said he would pray for a teenager killed during an anti-government demonstration last week.
Kurdish rebels call disarmament move historic, want Turkey to step up reforms
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Kurdish militants on Sunday described as “historic” a call by their jailed leader to hold a disarmament congress and said Turkey must now take concrete steps to keep the peace process on track.
Mali signs peace deal, rebels want more time for consultation
ALGIERS (Reuters) – Mali’s government signed a preliminary peace deal on Sunday meant to end fighting with northern separatists, but the Tuareg-led rebels asked for more time for consultations before agreeing to the accord.
Austria asks Swiss to do new autopsy on dead Kazakh dissident: paper
VIENNA (Reuters) – Austria has asked Switzerland to carry out an autopsy on Rakhat Aliyev, a Kazakh dissident found hanged in an Austrian prison last week, to dispel any suggestions of a cover up after a first post mortem found traces of sedatives.
Maduro says Venezuela detains U.S. citizens; announces moves against U.S.
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Saturday his government had detained U.S. citizens, including a pilot, on suspicion of espionage, in a move likely to strain already tense relations between Washington and Caracas.
Egypt court ruling opens way for possible election delay
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court ruled on Sunday that an article in a law defining voting districts was unconstitutional, opening the way for a possible delay in a long-awaited March-April parliamentary poll.
Bahrain charges 17 bombing suspects
MANAMA (Reuters) – Bahrain’s public prosecutor has charged 17 people with forming a militant group and carrying out bombings that wounded security personnel, the state news agency said on Saturday.
Activist monk seeks Buddhism overhaul in Thailand over corruption fears
NAKHON PATHOM, Thailand (Reuters) – Phra Buddha Issara is a monk with a mission. From his Buddhist temple near Bangkok he is calling for a radical overhaul of Thai Buddhism, fearing millions of dollars in temple donations and a rapidly modernizing nati…
