Lebanon detains wife of Islamic State leader
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Lebanese army detained a wife and daughter of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as they crossed from Syria nine days ago, security officials said on Tuesday, in a move seen as likely to put pressure on the Islamist chief….
NATO backs U.S.-led training force for Afghanistan
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – NATO foreign ministers agreed on Tuesday to launch a new training mission for Afghanistan next year, replacing combat troops who pull out by the end of the year after 13 years of war.
Mother of South African baby swapped at birth says hospital mocked her
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – A South African mother whose baby was accidentally swapped at birth said on Tuesday that hospital workers had mocked her when she insisted she had given birth to a girl, not a boy.
New Syrian opposition grouping fails to entice major rebel factions
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – The latest effort to unify the fractured Syrian military opposition has done little to create a cohesive vehicle for foreign military aid that could fight insurgents in Syria, after at least two major rebel groups dropped out of th…
Kenyan president changes security officials after al Shabaab kill 36
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Somali al Shabaab Islamist militants killed 36 non-Muslim workers at a quarry in northeast Kenya on Tuesday, prompting the president to sweep out his top security officials in order to tackle a relentless wave of violence.
Greece says it cannot help protesting Syrian refugees
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s government said on Tuesday it could do little to help about 300 Syrian refugees camped outside parliament for weeks because none of them had applied for asylum or shelter.
Egypt tourist numbers jump 70 percent in third quarter despite Sinai insurgency
CAIRO (Reuters) – A total of 2.77 million tourists visited Egypt in the third quarter of 2013, official figures show, a jump of 70 percent compared to the same period last year despite an Islamist insurgency in North Sinai.
Former mayor of Rome investigated in mafia probe
ROME (Reuters) – Italian prosecutors searched the house of the former mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno on Tuesday as part of a mafia corruption investigation implicating a number of current and former officials.
Algerian army says captures foreign smugglers on Niger border
ALGIERS (Reuters) – The Algerian army has arrested more than 50 foreign smugglers not far from the borders with Niger as the North African state tightens controls on its frontiers to halt Islamist militant attacks, a defense ministry statement said on …
U.S. diplomat to visit Asia over North Korea policy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A top U.S. diplomat handling North Korea will travel to South Korea, Japan and China later this week to meet with officials and discuss policy toward the isolated country, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday.
