From New York heroin dealer to Afghanistan’s biggest oil man
KABUL (Reuters) – One-eyed Rateb Popal’s debut as an Afghan businessman was not promising: he was caught smuggling heroin and locked up in a New York federal prison for almost a decade.
Vatican bank to be scaled back, restructured: sources
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Vatican bank will soon hive off its investment activities and transform itself into an institution dedicated mostly to payment services for the Roman Catholic Church, Vatican sources said on Monday.
Iraq parliament delayed for five weeks, general killed near Baghdad
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq’s new parliament put off its next session for five weeks on Monday, extending the country’s political paralysis amid a Sunni Islamist insurgency which claimed the life of an army general near Baghdad.
Pushed from Slaviansk, Ukraine rebels barricade Donetsk
DONETSK Ukraine (Reuters) – Pro-Russian rebels erected new barricades on the streets of Donetsk on Monday, preparing to make a stand in the city of a million people after losing their bastion in the town of Slaviansk in the worst defeat of their three-…
Italy’s Renzi cancels meeting with 5-Star over reforms
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s ruling Democratic Party (PD) on Monday cancelled a meeting with the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) to discuss fundamental reforms, with each side blaming the other for the failure to meet.
Hamas steps up rocket fire, Israel says ready for escalation
GAZA (Reuters) – Hamas stepped up rocket fire at southern Israeli towns and Israel called up reserve troops on Monday in anticipation of a possible escalation of hostilities with the Islamist group that dominates the Gaza Strip.
Quake rocks Guatemala, Mexico, newborn baby among five dead
GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) – A strong earthquake shook the border between Guatemala and Mexico on Monday, killing at least five people, including a newborn boy, damaging dozens of buildings and triggering landslides.
Afghanistan’s Abdullah rejects election result as ‘coup’ against people
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan presidential contender Abdullah Abdullah’s camp rejected preliminary results of last month’s run-off election on Monday as a “coup” against the people, putting him on a dangerous collision course with his rival, Ashraf Ghani.
U.S. ship begins neutralizing Syrian chemical weapons
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. container ship Cape Ray began neutralizing chemical materials on Monday that were once part of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s weapons arsenal, the Pentagon said.
Rescue workers end search for eight trapped Honduran gold miners
SAN JUAN ARRIBA Honduras (Reuters) – Rescue workers on Monday gave up their search for eight missing miners trapped by a landslide at an illegal Honduran gold mine last week.
