Merkel government says no plan to make immigrants speak German at home
BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government distanced itself on Monday from a much-ridiculed proposal by Bavarian conservatives that immigrant families should be obliged to speak German at home if they wanted to remain in the countr…
Greek police investigate beating of handcuffed protester
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek police on Monday said they had begun an internal investigation after video footage from weekend protests showed a riot policeman punching and kicking a handcuffed protester.
UK governing parties stress economic differences before election
LONDON (Reuters) – The two parties in Britain’s governing coalition clashed on Monday over their plans for the economy as they tried to differentiate themselves in voters’ eyes before a national election due next May.
Amazon Indians report more death threats after activists slain
LIMA/SAO PAULO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Indians on the Peru-Brazil border say they continue to receive death threats from loggers after the murder of four local chiefs in a remote forest region overrun by illegal felling.
U.S., UK face nuclear disarmament pressure at Vienna meeting
VIENNA (Reuters) – The United States and Britain took part for the first time on Monday in an international conference on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons and were expected to face pressure to do more to eliminate their atomic arsenals.
India’s Modi takes political campaign to Kashmir separatist stronghold
SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took his political campaign to the troubled northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, promising jobs and water supplies to win support in a region at the heart of nearly seven decades…
France says cargo plane detained in Nigeria has no weapons
KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) – A Russian cargo plane that Nigerian authorities detained on Saturday had no weapons on it but was carrying two French army helicopters out of Central African Republic, the French ambassador said on Monday.
South African court clears Briton of honeymoon murder
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – A South African court cleared British businessman Shrien Dewani on Monday of charges that he paid hitmen to kill his wife while they were on honeymoon in Cape Town four years ago.
Sri Lanka president, challenger sign up for expected tight January election
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his former health minister, Mithripala Sirisena, submitted nominations on Monday to contest next month’s presidential election, which is expected to be a tight race between the one-time par…
U.S. says unaware of South Africa teacher release talks before Yemen raid
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Washington did not know about advanced negotiations to release South African teacher Pierre Korkie before he was killed in a failed U.S.-led mission to rescue hostages held by al Qaeda in Yemen, the U.S. ambassador to South Afr…
