Heavy fighting near seaport of Libyan city Benghazi, navy ship hit
BENGHAZI Libya (Reuters) – A Libyan navy ship was hit and 13 people killed during heavy fighting with aircraft and tanks on Monday between the army and Islamist militants near the port of Benghazi, residents of the Mediterranean city said.
Zambia’s interim leader moves against presidential contender
LUSAKA (Reuters) – Acting Zambian leader Guy Scott dismissed a presidential front-runner as secretary-general of the ruling party on Monday, pointing to a fiercely contested election in the next three months to succeed the late leader Michael Sata.
With eyes on EU, Albania hopes to draw line under Serbia drone row
LONDON (Reuters) – Albania hopes next week’s meeting with Serbia can draw a line under an on-pitch brawl between their national soccer teams and put efforts to heal fragile Balkan relations back on the right track, its foreign minister said on Monday.
UK’s Hill warns against EU Commission arguing for national interests
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s new European commissioner warned on Monday that he and his European Union colleagues needed to stand above the pursuit of national interest or risk driving the bloc apart.
British schoolboy jailed for stabbing teacher to death in class
LONDON (Reuters) – A teenage British schoolboy was jailed for at least 20 years on Monday after pleading guilty to stabbing to death a teacher he had developed a hatred of in front of horrified pupils during a lesson at a college in northern England.
Chad’s Deby plays for high stakes in Boko Haram talks
N’DJAMENA (Reuters) – Chad’s President Idriss Deby, a wily survivor of rebellions, is looking to bolster his powerbroker role in the Sahel and his nation’s own security by backing peace talks between neighbor Nigeria’s government and Islamist Boko Hara…
NATO commander: Russia’s incursions in European airspace ‘more provocative’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – NATO’s top military commander said on Monday that recent incursions into European airspace by Russian fighters and long-range bombers included larger, more complex formations of aircraft flying more “provocative” routes than usua…
Bulgarian woman sets herself on fire in front of presidency
SOFIA (Reuters) – A Bulgarian woman was rushed to hospital after setting fire to herself outside the president’s office on Monday, as the president discussed the formation of a new government following an inconclusive election last month.
EU delays decision on Russian access to Opal gas pipeline
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission said on Monday it had pushed back a deadline for deciding whether to give Russia more access to the Opal gas pipeline across Germany until the end of January from the end of October.
Top Turkish generals say knew of no coup plot as retrial begins
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Two retired generals who led Turkey’s armed forces at the time of an alleged 2003 coup plot told a retrial of hundreds of officers on Monday that they knew of no plans to topple then-Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.