Algeria and Niger start repatriation of 3,000 illegal migrants
NIAMEY (Reuters) – Algeria and Niger have started to repatriate 3,000 citizens of Niger who crossed into Algeria illegally, as part of a bid to stop people-smuggling to North Africa and Europe, authorities said on Wednesday.
ICC refers Libya to U.N. Security Council for not surrendering Gaddafi’s son
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The International Criminal Court said on Wednesday Libya had violated an obligation to hand over murder suspect Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and it referred the matter to the U.N. Security Council.
Tobacco firms sign landmark pledge to end child labor in supply chains
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Several of the world’s biggest tobacco companies pledged on Wednesday to end child labor in their supply chains, a landmark agreement a rights group said could protect thousands of children from hazardous work in t…
Italy’s Northern League calls for EU to be ‘demolished’
ROME (Reuters) – In a European political landscape increasingly populated with insurgent, anti-system parties, Italy’s eurosceptic anti-immigrant Northern League is the latest to profit from a groundswell of hostility to the European Union.
Kenya to investigate Al Jazeera allegations of ‘death squads’
MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) – Kenyan authorities are to investigate journalists and sources involved in an Al Jazeera documentary alleging that radical Muslim preachers were killed by police “death squads”.
Latin America only region set to meet hunger reduction goals: U.N.
ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Latin America and the Caribbean is the only region on track to meet the 2009 World Food Summit goal of halving the number of people suffering from hunger by 2015, the United Nations reported.
Somali al Shabaab militants behead two policewomen
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Al Shabaab militants have beheaded two Somali policewomen, prompting a policeman to kill five women linked to the group who were being held for a possible swap of captives, an official said on Wednesday.
Sworn enemies make peace in Colombia after putting down their guns
CALI, Colombia (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – During seven years of night guard duty as a rebel child soldier in Colombia’s jungle hideouts, Jhon Jairo Obando was kept awake knowing that if he did not shoot first his enemy would.
Uzbek president asks Putin to help fight radical Islam in Central Asia
TASHKENT (Reuters) – Uzbekistan urged Russia on Wednesday to help protect Central Asia against what it said would be a rising threat from militant Islam as U.S. forces draw down their numbers in Afghanistan.
Israel moots security cooperation with Lebanese military
TEL AVIV (Reuters) – Israel’s military said on Wednesday it was exploring the possibility of cooperating with the Lebanese army to counter Sunni Islamist militants, even though the two countries remain technically at war.
