Japan jets scrambling to counter rising Russian incursions
CHITOSE Japan (Reuters) – The number of times Japanese fighter jets scrambled to ward off Russian military aircraft more than doubled in the last six months, amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is keen to …
Somali militants kill five with car bomb in Mogadishu
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – At least five people were killed and several wounded when a car bomb planted by Islamist militant group al Shabaab exploded near restaurants on a busy street in the Somali capital on Wednesday.
Yemen’s Houthis advance near al Qaeda stronghold
SANAA (Reuters) – Yemen’s new Shi’ite Muslim powerbrokers sent fighters towards an al Qaeda stronghold on Wednesday, raising the possibility of clashes between the politically ascendant Houthi movement and the hardline Sunni Muslims of the militant net…
Putin warns U.S. spat over Ukraine threatens global stability
MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin warned Washington that a spat between nuclear powers over the Ukraine crisis could threaten global stability and said in remarks published on Wednesday that Russia would not be “blackmailed” by sanctions.
Nigeria’s ex-military ruler Buhari declares presidential bid
ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigeria’s former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari declared he would run for president on Wednesday, criticizing President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration for corruption and failing to tackle the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency.
Mozambicans vote peacefully in keenly-fought elections
MAPUTO (Reuters) – Mozambicans voted on Wednesday in elections expected to return the ruling Frelimo party to power in one of Africa’s fastest-growing resource-rich economies, and international observers said voting was generally peaceful.
Putin, Poroshenko to discuss gas deal, peace moves in Italy
MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko will look for ways to settle a dispute over natural gas supplies and end months of conflict in east Ukraine at talks in Italy this week.
Romanian prosecutors investigate prime minister’s father-in-law
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romanian prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the father-in-law of Prime Minister Victor Ponta as part of a wider case related to recovering land seized under the country’s communist dictatorship, the prosecutor’s…
Kenya arrests leader of separatist coastal movement
MOMBASA Kenya (Reuters) – Kenyan police on Wednesday arrested the leader of a separatist movement seeking independence for the country’s Indian Ocean coast regions, accusing Omar Mwamnuadzi of holding an illegal meeting and planning a breach of the pea…
Danish main opposition mulls deal to block euroscpetics
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Denmark’s main opposition group, the Liberals, said on Wednesday it would look into forming a common position on Europe with other mainstream parties – a deal that would effectively lock out an increasingly popular far-right euro…
