Armed groups recruit 10,000 child soldiers in Central African Republic: NGO
DAKAR (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Up to 10,000 children have been recruited by armed groups during the conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR) despite a U.N.-backed peacekeeping presence, the number rising sharply in the past two years, Save …
Greek opposition leader says wants ‘negotiated’ solution to debt
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s radical leftist Syriza party would cancel austerity policies agreed by the current government if elected but would negotiate debt relief with international lenders without taking unilateral steps, party leader Alexis Tsipras…
U.N. launches 2015 Syria appeal, focuses on helping refugees’ host nations
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The United Nations called on Thursday for more than $8.4 billion to help nearly 18 million people in need in Syria, wrecked by civil war, and across the region in 2015.
Cameroon army kills 116 Boko Haram militants, defense ministry says
YAOUNDE (Reuters) – Cameroon’s army killed 116 Boko Haram militants on Wednesday when they attacked a base in the Far North region of the country, said defense ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Didier Badjeck.
Egypt constituency law sets stage for long-awaited elections
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt on Thursday cleared a final hurdle to long-awaited parliamentary elections seen as decisive in cementing the rule of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who ousted President Mohamed Mursi, and excluding the banned Muslim Brotherhood from poli…
Yemeni PM Bahah’s cabinet wins parliamentary approval: sources
SANAA (Reuters) – Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah’s cabinet won a parliamentary vote of confidence on Thursday, freeing it to tackle major challenges facing the country, including dealing with Shi’ite Muslim Houthi militia who control the capital Sa…
No risk of contagion from Greek vote: Italy economy minister
ROME (Reuters) – Italian Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan said on Thursday that possible fallout from Greece’s political showdown would not trigger a euro zone debt crisis like the one that pushed Italy close to default three years ago.
EU bans investment in Crimea, targets oil sector, cruises
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union banned investment in Crimea on Thursday, halting European help for Russian Black Sea oil and gas exploration and outlawing European cruise ships from calling at Crimean ports.
EU appoints Germany’s Stoiber as red tape adviser
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker appointed Germany’s Edmund Stoiber as special adviser on better regulation on Thursday, to help the EU executive fight over-regulation and red tape.
U.N. defers Iraq’s $4.6 billion Gulf War reparations to Kuwait
GENEVA (Reuters) – The United Nations Gulf War compensation fund agreed on Thursday to defer Iraq’s requirement to deposit five percent of its oil revenues for a year due to its budgetary difficulties, a senior U.N. official said.
