Bouteflika’s mental ability intact, will continue in power: party chief
ALGIERS (Reuters) – President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s mental and cognitive faculties are intact and he will continue to govern Algeria, the ruling FLN party’s chairman said on Friday, in comments aimed at quashing rumours over the ageing leader’s health…
Exclusive: Iran’s support for Syria tested by oil price drop
AMMAN (Reuters) – Syrian businessmen and trade officials say they are worried the economic lifeline provided by Iran is under strain from plunging oil prices, despite public messages of support from Syria’s strongest regional ally.
Russia condemns new U.S. sanctions bill
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s Foreign ministry said on Friday it was deeply disappointed U.S. President Barack Obama had signed into law a new bill on sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine crisis and said the bill was “anti-Russian by its nature”.
Pakistan hangs two militants after Taliban school massacre
LAHORE (Reuters) – Pakistan executed two prominent militants on Friday, sources said, in a clear response to this week’s massacre of more than 130 children at a school.
Nine migrants drown off the coast of Morocco
MADRID (Reuters) – Moroccan rescue teams recovered the bodies of nine migrants who drowned off the coast of Tangier and rescued another 21 who were trying to reach Spain on a small craft, Spanish authorities said on Friday.
Civilian deaths in Afghanistan war reach new high in 2014: U.N.
KABUL (Reuters) – At least 3,188 Afghan civilians have been killed in the intensifying war with the Taliban in 2014, making it the deadliest year on record for non-combatants, the United Nations said on Friday.
Turkey keeps media executive in custody on terrorism charge
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A Turkish court kept a media executive and three other people in custody on Friday pending trial on accusations of belonging to a terrorist group, in a case which President Tayyip Erdogan has defended as a response to “dirty operat…
Turkish sociologist acquitted of 1998 blast for fourth time
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A Turkish sociologist who researched the treatment of minority Kurds and has become a cause celebre for human rights groups was acquitted for the fourth time on Friday of bombing Istanbul’s Spice Bazaar in 1998.
Pope’s Latin American brains trust was behind Cuba deal
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Argentine Pope Francis and a trio of top Vatican officials who helped broker the historic deal between the United States and Cuba represent an unprecedented brain trust in Latin American affairs at the Holy See.
U.N. urges Pakistan to refrain from resuming executions
GENEVA (Reuters) – The U.N. human rights office appealed to Pakistan on Friday to refrain from resuming executions after the massacre of 141 people in a Peshawar school, saying this would not stop terrorism and might even feed a “cycle of revenge”.
