Uruguay’s roll-out of marijuana experiment faces election risk
MONTEVIDEO (Reuters) – Uruguay is struggling to roll out the commercial production and sale of marijuana and its ground-breaking experiment could be dropped or watered down if an opposition candidate wins this month’s presidential election.
EU’s Ashton to stay on until end of Iran nuclear talks
LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) – European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Monday she will continue leading nuclear negotiations with Iran until a deal is reached but is determined to meet a November deadline for an accord.
Gaddafi cousin hopes to participate in Libyan peace talks
CAIRO (Reuters) – A cousin and former aide of Muammar Gaddafi said he wants to take part in proposed talks aimed at bringing together Libya’s warring parties, in a rare bid by a member of the ex-ruler’s inner-circle to regain influence.
Venezuela’s Maduro approval rating drops to 30 percent, poll says
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s approval rating dropped to 30.2 percent in September from 35.4 percent in July, according to a survey by pollster Datanalisis, amid an ongoing economic crisis that has weighed on his popularity….
Bus accident in Bangladesh kills 32 and injures dozens
DHAKA (Reuters) – At least 32 people were killed and dozens injured when two buses collided head-on in northwest Bangladesh on Monday, police said.
At least 30 killed in northeast Nigeria clashes despite ‘truce’
MAIDUGURI (Reuters) – At least 25 suspected Boko Haram insurgents were killed in clashes between soldiers and the Islamist militants in northeast Nigeria and five civilians were killed in fighting elsewhere in the region, a military source and resident…
Aquino rejects call to annul U.S.-Philippines forces agreement over murder case
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Benigno Aquino rejected on Monday calls to tear up the Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States after an American serviceman was charged with the murder of a transgender Filipino outside a former U.S Navy…
Saudi Arabia steps up beheadings; some see political message
RIYADH (Reuters) – Immediately after his sword falls, the Saudi Arabian executioner steps backwards to avoid soiling his clothes with the blood of the condemned man, whose headless body can be seen slumping over backwards in the shaky online film.
Hope and obstacles as Russia and Ukraine seek gas deal
MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) – A tentative agreement between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents has raised hopes of ending a dispute in which Moscow has halted natural gas supplies to Kiev, but several obstacles still have be overcome.
Reform-minded outsider Widodo takes over as Indonesia’s president
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s Joko Widodo took over as president of the world’s third-largest democracy on Monday with supporters’ hopes high, but pressing economic problems and sceptical rivals set to test the former furniture salesman.
