NATO chief vows no loss of gains in Afghanistan
KABUL (Reuters) – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday reaffirmed the alliance’s commitment to stabilizing Afghanistan and ensuring that the gains made are preserved after the foreign combat mission ends in 2014.
Boko Haram steals dynamite in raid on Lafarge Nigeria plant: sources
DAMATURU Nigeria (Reuters) – Suspected Boko Haram Islamist militants raided a cement factory owned by Lafarge subsidiary Ashaka Cement and seized dynamite from a quarry, witnesses and a security source said on Thursday.
Pakistani police officer axes man to death over blasphemy
LAHORE Pakistan (Reuters) – A policeman in Pakistan hacked a man to death for allegedly making derogatory remarks about the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, police said, just two days after a Christian couple was lynched over blasphemy in the same p…
Hollande popularity plumbs new low in mid-term French poll
PARIS (Reuters) – Half-way into his five-year mandate the popularity of French President Francois Hollande hit a new low on Thursday, hours before the Socialist leader addresses the nation to defend his shaky record on the economy.
HK students seek intermediary to arrange Beijing trip
HONG KONG (Reuters) – A leader of Hong Kong’s student protests called on Thursday for a respected intermediary to help arrange a trip to Beijing where the students want to make their case to China’s leaders for greater democracy in their city.
China on best behavior for APEC, but guests may not be
BEIJING (Reuters) – From territorial disputes with neighbors to rivalry with the United States, China is setting aside some of its biggest foreign policy challenges to prevent discord at a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders that it hosts next week.
China’s top military body to take over army auditing office
BEIJING (Reuters) – The auditing office of China’s powerful People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has come under the direct management of the Central Military Commission, state news agency Xinhua said on Thursday, in a series of military reforms to shore up s…
Finland’s Stubb echoes Merkel on UK immigration curb plans
HELSINKI (Reuters) – Freedom of movement within the European Union is sacrosanct, Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb said on Thursday ahead of a meeting with his British counterpart David Cameron, who has said he’d like to curb EU immigration.
China premier won’t meet Suu Kyi, will offer Myanmar aid
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will not meet Myanmar opposition leader and Nobel Prize-winner Aung San Suu Kyi when he visits the country next week, but will announce a new aid package and series of deals, officials said on Thursday.
Tribesmen blow up main Yemen oil export pipeline
SANAA (Reuters) – Yemeni tribesmen blew up the country’s main oil export pipeline on Thursday, forcing crude flows to stop, energy industry and tribal sources said, in the latest attack on a key source of foreign currency.
