Baghdad’s decade-old curfew to end on Saturday, Iraq’s PM says
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Baghdad’s decade-old curfew will end on Saturday and four neighborhoods will be “demilitarized”, Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Thursday, as he tries to normalize the capital.
Libya stops flights to Europe after foreign partner pulls out
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libya’s only commercial flight link to mainland Europe was severed on Thursday when the state carrier said its foreign partner had pulled out of the country after a deadly attack last week on a Tripoli hotel.
Turkey detains five suspected Islamic State members this week: army
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish authorities have detained a man alleged to be a member of Islamic State in the southeastern city of Gaziantep, the army said on Thursday, bringing the number of suspected militants seized this week to five.
Burkina to review presidential guard’s role amid row with premier
OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) – Burkina Faso has said it will review the presidential guard’s role in a bid to defuse a row between Prime Minister Isaac Zida and the elite corps frustrated by his efforts to cut its pay and curtail its influence.
Three South Sudanese freed after U.N. aircraft lands in rebel area
NAIROBI (Reuters) – A South Sudanese civil servant and two humanitarian workers have been freed by rebels who detained them when their U.N. World Food Program helicopter landed by mistake in a rebel-held region, a WFP spokeswoman said on Thursday.
Brazil police summon ruling party treasurer in Petrobras probe
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian federal police summoned João Vaccari Neto, the treasurer for the country’s ruling political party, for questioning in a corruption probe focused on state-run oil company Petrobras on Thursday, as the investigation broadens to include political operators.
Hollande taps Charlie Hebdo spirit for ‘national unity’ drive
PARIS (Reuters) – French President Francois Hollande sought on Thursday to capitalize on a sense of national unity inspired by last month’s Islamist attacks in Paris and announced a new public service job scheme and initiatives in housing and education…
Tunisia approves secular-Islamist coalition government
TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s parliament approved a coalition cabinet on Thursday including secularists, Islamists and smaller parties, in the latest step in its transition to full democracy following a 2011 uprising.
Kosovo considering pre-2009 debt write-off to tackle unrest
PRISTINA (Reuters) – Kosovo may write off a range of debts racked up by citizens before 2009, the government said on Thursday in a move to tackle widespread dissatisfaction fuelling unrest and a new wave of emigration to western Europe.
Obama, Dalai Lama share greetings at prayer event
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama exchanged greetings but did not meet directly at a religious event in Washington closely watched by Beijing, which has warned against any meetings with Tibet’s exiled spiritual leade…
