Sudan’s Bashir chosen by ruling party as candidate for 2015 elections
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudan’s ruling party chose President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Tuesday as its candidate for next year’s presidential vote, making it almost certain that he will not step aside but extend his rule after 25 years in power.
Death toll in Nepal’s worst trekking disaster reaches 43
KATHMANDU (Reuters) – Rescuers on Tuesday pulled out three bodies of Nepali citizens killed in last week’s freak blizzards and avalanches, taking the toll in the Himalayan nation’s worst trekking disaster to 43.
Egypt court sets January 1 appeal date for Al Jazeera journalists
CAIRO (Reuters) – An Egyptian court has set January 1 as the date for an appeals hearing for the three Al Jazeera journalists serving jail time in Egypt, the network said on Tuesday.
Iran arrests several spies near Bushehr nuclear plant: Fars news agency
ANKARA (Reuters) – Iranian security services have arrested several suspected spies in the southern province of Bushehr where the country’s first nuclear power plant is located, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday.
Hong Kong students put their case to government, but no breakthrough
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Thousands of Hong Kong protesters listened raptly from the streets on Tuesday as student leaders debated their call for full democracy for the Chinese-run city with government leaders to try end a weeks-long occupation of major tr…
Investors skeptical of Rousseff’s options for Brazil finance chief
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Whoever President Dilma Rousseff picks to head Brazil’s finance ministry if she is re-elected on Sunday will likely get a cold welcome from investors, who are skeptical that the leftist leader will stop dictating policy herself.
Baghdad restaurant bombs kill 21
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – A series of bombs targeting restaurants across Baghdad killed at least 21 people on Tuesday, police and medics said.
Palestinians downbeat on promised rebuilding of ruined Gaza Strip
GAZA/RAMALLAH West Bank (Reuters) – The first torrential downpour of an approaching winter has already soaked the Gaza Strip, compounding the misery of thousands of Palestinians who scrambled to patch homes wrecked by the summer war with Israel.
Special Report: U.S. visa program for crime victims is hit-or-miss prospect
(Reuters) – It was the week of Chinese New Year, and Jian Zhen Huang was climbing her sister’s doorstep in Brooklyn with cups and other supplies for the celebration inside. Suddenly, a young man grabbed her, punched her in the face several times, knocked her down to the pavement and stole her phone.
Islamic State wins ground from Syrian government in east: monitor
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Islamic State won territory from Syrian government forces in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor on Tuesday, its first gain there in about two months, a group that tracks the civil war reported.
