Sudan arrests opposition leader al-Mahdi, could face death penalty
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudanese opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi was arrested on Saturday on charges that could lead to the death penalty, a government official said, a move that could hurt efforts to ease political tensions before elections due next yea…
West Africa leaders vow to wage ‘total war’ on Boko Haram
PARIS (Reuters) – West African leaders on Saturday agreed to work together to wage “total war” on Boko Haram saying the Nigerian Islamist group had become a regional al Qaeda that threatened all of them.
Bissau presidential frontrunner calls for peace on eve of vote
BISSAU (Reuters) – The frontrunner in Guinea-Bissau’s election ended his campaign by calling for peace as the coup-prone West African country prepared for a Sunday vote meant bring political stability and renew cooperation with donors and investors.
Gunfight erupts in Mali’s Kidal as PM visits
KIDAL, Mali (Reuters) – A gunbattle erupted between the Malian army and MNLA Tuareg separatists in the northern city of Kidal on Saturday shortly before a visit by the prime minister, an army source and an MNLA spokesman said.
EU will not monitor Egypt vote after equipment blocked: official
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union will not be able to monitor the Egyptian presidential election this month because Cairo has not given permission for it to bring essential security and safety equipment, an EU official said on Saturday.
Israel hints back-channel talks launched with Palestinians
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – A senior member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government hinted on Saturday that Israel was involved in back-channel contacts with Palestinian and Arab officials despite the collapse of U.S.-brokered peace negotiations la…
More than 20 dead, thousands evacuated in Bosnia, Serbia floods
OBRENOVAC, Serbia (Reuters) – More than 20 people have been killed in the worst floods in more than a century in Serbia and Bosnia, authorities said on Saturday, with thousands evacuated from towns still under threat from rising rivers.
Separatists recapture their leader on the eve of peace talks in Ukraine
KIEV (Reuters) – Pro-Russian separatist leader Valery Bolotov was detained by Ukrainian border guards on Saturday then freed by armed supporters in a firefight at the checkpoint, a Ukrainian spokesman said.
Egypt prosecutor criticizes court over death sentences: state media
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s public prosecutor has appealed against the mass death sentences issued by a provincial court, which had caused an international outcry, state media reported on Saturday, in rare criticism by a senior member of the judiciary of…
Turkish mine disaster town under lockdown as death toll rises to 301
SOMA, Turkey (Reuters) – Turkish police put the mining town of Soma on virtual lockdown on Saturday, setting up checkpoints and detaining dozens of people to enforce a ban on protests as rescue efforts following the country’s worst industrial disaster …
