Nearly two thirds of French want Hollande to quit: poll
PARIS (Reuters) – Nearly two thirds of French voters would like to see their deeply unpopular Socialist president, Francois Hollande, resign before the end of his term in 2017, a poll showed on Thursday.
Philippines displays ancient maps to debunk China’s sea claims
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines on Thursday put on display dozens of ancient maps which officials said showed that China’s territorial claims over the South China Sea did not include a disputed shoal at the centre of an acrimonious standoff.
Gunmen kill four in troubled Thai south
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Gunmen stormed a government office in southern Thailand on Thursday, killing four people in an attack police blamed on Muslim separatists whose low-level insurgency has caused thousands of deaths in the past decade.
Ukraine says Russia withdrawing forces from east, sees boost for peace
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s president said on Wednesday Russia had removed the bulk of its forces from his country, raising hopes for a peace drive now underway after five months of conflict in which more than 3,000 people have been killed.
Myanmar lifts curfew in violence-racked state capital
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar on Thursday lifted a curfew imposed in June 2012 when clashes between Buddhists and minority Muslims erupted throughout western Rakhine state, killing at least 192 people that year.
Putin orders combat readiness checks for troops in Russia’s east
MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin has ordered snap checks of troops’ combat readiness in Russia’s far east, the latest in a series of military drills this year as tensions have mounted over the crisis in Ukraine.
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni
Rebel-turned-statesman Museveni is one of Africa’s longest serving leaders, securing the presidency in 1986 after leading troops through the bush to oust Milton Obote and declaring that his presidency was “not a mere change of guard” from one strongman…
British PM begs Scots not to break up ‘family of nations’
EDINBURGH (Reuters) – British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday begged Scots not to rip apart the United Kingdom’s “family of nations”, flying to Scotland to man the barricades against a surge in support for independence eight days before a ref…
Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam
Navin Ramgoolam, the son of the man who led Mauritius to independence in 1968, was prime minister from 1995 to 2000 and won office again in 2005 when his coalition defeated the supporters of then premier Paul Bérenger.
Islamic State’s financial independence poses quandary for its foes
BAGHDAD/DUBAI (Reuters) – Sometimes they came pretending to buy things. Sometimes they texted, sometimes they called, but the message was always the same: “Give us money.”
