China looms over South Asian summit in the Himalayas
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – When eight South Asian leaders gather for a summit in Kathmandu on Wednesday, they will meet in a conference center donated by China to its cash-strapped Himalayan neighbor Nepal 27 years ago.
Colombia FARC free two soldiers, vow to release general by weekend
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombian Marxist rebels released two captives on Tuesday and vowed to free a kidnapped army general by the weekend in a move that may lead to the resumption of suspended peace talks which aim to end five decades of war.
Two policemen injured by bomb at Shi’ite village in Bahrain
MANAMA (Reuters) – A bomb injured two Bahraini policemen on Tuesday, authorities said, amid high tension after the opposition boycotted the country’s first elections since unrest rocked the island kingdom in 2011.
Italy’s Renzi clears hurdle in parliament on labor law
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s lower house of parliament voted on Tuesday to pass Prime Minister Matteo Renzi’s Jobs Act, clearing the way for final approval in the Senate next month of a law aimed at making hiring and firing rules simpler.
Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church urges government not to use pope’s visit to help election campaign
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s Catholic Church has urged the government not to use a forthcoming visit by Pope Francis to help its re-election campaign after media reported posters had appeared depicting the pontiff blessing President Mahinda Rajapaks…
Pope says orders investigation into sexual abuse in Spain
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) – Pope Francis said on Tuesday he had personally ordered an investigation into a case of sexual abuse of a minor by priests in Spain because he felt the church should not hide the truth.
Dutch detain three men suspected of wanting to join militants in Syria: prosecutors
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Dutch authorities detained three men on charges of plotting attacks and seeking to join a militant group affiliated with al Qaeda, the Nusra Front in Syria, prosecutors said on Tuesday.
Iran hardliners round on Rouhani but supreme leader backs more nuclear talks
DUBAI (Reuters) – Hardliners rounded on President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday after negotiators failed to end the Iranian nuclear dispute but the man who ultimately matters, the country’s supreme leader, tacitly backed a renewed push for a deal.
Female suicide bombers kill at least 21 in Nigeria’s northeast
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) – Two female suicide bombers killed at least 21 people on Tuesday in a busy market area of Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri, center of a militant Islamist insurgency, emergency services said.
Street protests in Burkina Faso prompt minister’s resignation
OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) – A minister in Burkina Faso’s transitional government seen as close to former President Blaise Compaore’s administration resigned on Tuesday following two days of protests over his appointment, the prime minister’s office said.
