New Zealand wants Malaysia to act against diplomat over sex charge
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand pressed the Malaysian government on Tuesday to take action against a diplomat who claimed immunity and left the country after being charged with committing a sexual assault in the capital, Wellington, in May.
South Africa’s NUMSA union says reverting to 15 percent wage demand
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s striking engineering and metal workers union NUMSA said on Tuesday it was reverting to a demand for a 15 percent wage increase, because employers had failed to respond in kind to its concession of a lower 12 perc…
Vienna man convicted of training with Syrian militants
VIENNA (Reuters) – A man accused of traveling to Syria to receive weapons training from Islamist militants was sentenced in Austria on Tuesday to 21 months in jail, in the latest case to highlight the lure of the Syrian conflict for radicalized young m…
European Court of Human Rights upholds French law banning veil
STRASBOURG (Reuters) – The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday upheld France’s 2010 ban on full-face veils in public, dismissing a case brought by a French woman against the state for breach of religious freedom.
Pakistani officials: any militants in North Waziristan a target, even Haqqanis
ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR Pakistan (Reuters) – Pakistani officials said on Tuesday they would target any militants, including the Haqqanis, as they proceed with a military operation in the remote region of North Waziristan, but mounting evidence showed many m…
Al Shabaab kills three Somali soldiers in latest Ramadan attack
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Al Shabaab militants shot dead three Somali soldiers in the capital Mogadishu on Tuesday, their fourth attack since the start of the Ramadan fasting month that the Islamists have threatened to target.
Uganda clashes with Central Africa Republic’s Seleka rebels
KAMPALA (Reuters) – Uganda said on Tuesday its forces in Central African Republic (CAR) had clashed for the first time with fighters from Seleka, a mainly Muslim rebel force, killing 12, and would pursue them as part of a campaign against the Lord’s Re…
Vatican bank’s head to quit as shake-up bites, sources say
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Vatican bank’s chairman is to step down as soon as next week as part of the restructuring of an institution that has been an embarrassment to the Catholic Church for decades, Vatican sources said on Tuesday.
How Boko Haram is beating U.S. efforts to choke its financing
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – When Washington imposed sanctions in June 2012 on Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, he dismissed it as an empty gesture.
Top Philippine court deals blow to president, throws out fund
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippine Supreme Court threw out as unconstitutional a fund overseen by President Benigno Aquino to stimulate the economy, dealing a setback to his bid to portray himself as a champion of the fight against corruption.