Despite costly U.S. effort, Afghan poppy cultivation hits new high
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan hit an all-time high in 2013 despite years of counter-narcotics efforts that have cost the United States $7.6 billion, the U.S. government watchdog for Afghanistan reconstruction spending sa…
China likely to close ‘gift’ loophole in corruption fight
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s largely rubber stamp parliament is likely to close a loophole when it meets next week to ban officials from getting around corruption allegations by claiming money received was simply a gift, a state-run newspaper said on Tu…
Canada police kill ‘radicalized’ driver after he rams two soldiers
OTTAWA/MONTREAL (Reuters) – A Canadian man who was killed by police on Monday after trying to run over two soldiers in Quebec “had become radicalized,” the government said after the first such incident in Canada since the country joined the fight again…
Panama arrests supreme court judge on suspicion of corruption
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) – A Panamanian supreme court judge who previously headed the tribunal has been placed under house arrest and suspended from his post pending an investigation into suspected corruption, a congressional committee said on Monday.
South Sudan sexual violence ‘rampant,’ two-year-old raped: U.N.
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Rape and other forms of sexual violence by all sides in South Sudan’s civil war have become so widespread that a 2-year-old child was among the victims, the U.N. special representative on sexual violence in armed conflict sai…
Chile ex-mayor arrested, charged with Pinochet-era crimes
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – The ex-mayor of an upscale Santiago neighborhood was arrested and charged on Monday in connection with an ongoing investigation into human rights crimes committed in Chile during General Augusto Pinochet’s 1973-1990 dictatorship.
Polls shows Rousseff gaining momentum as Brazil election nears
RIO DE JANEIRO/BRASILIA (Reuters) – President Dilma Rousseff is gaining momentum but remains locked in a dead heat with challenger Aecio Neves ahead of Sunday’s runoff to Brazil’s presidential election, two surveys showed on Monday.
Canada police kill driver after he rams two soldiers
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Two Canadian soldiers were injured in a hit-and-run in the province of Quebec on Monday by a male driver who was later shot dead by police officers, said a spokesman for the Surete du Quebec, the provincial police force.
Libya parliament allies with renegade general, struggles to assert authority
BENGHAZI Libya (Reuters) – Libya’s beleaguered elected parliament has declared a formal alliance with a renegade former general, as it struggles to assert some authority in a country many fear is sliding into outright civil war.
Turkey to let Iraqi Kurds reinforce Kobani as U.S. drops arms to defenders
ANKARA/BEIRUT (Reuters) – Turkey said on Monday it would allow Iraqi Kurdish fighters to reinforce fellow Kurds in the Syrian town of Kobani on Turkey’s border, and the United States air-dropped arms to help the Kurds there resist an Islamic State assa…
