Three car bombs, mortars kill 23 in Shi’ite Baghdad districts
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Three car bombs were detonated in adjacent Shi’ite Baghdad neighbourhoods on Thursday followed by a dozen mortar rounds, killing at least 23 people and wounding more than 50, security and medical sources said.
Greek police, protesters clash during rally to mark rapper killing
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek police fired teargas at protesters who hurled petrol bombs and stones in Athens on Thursday during a rally marking one year since the killing of an anti-fascism rapper by a far-right Golden Dawn supporter.
U.N. says five peacekeepers killed, three wounded in Mali blast
DAKAR (Reuters) – The United Nations mission in Mali said five of its Chadian peacekeepers were killed and another three wounded when their vehicle was hit by an explosive device in the north of the country on Thursday.
New Slovenia government wins parliament approval, aims to cut deficit
LJUBLJANA (Reuters) – Slovenia’s parliament on Thursday approved the new centre-left coalition government of Prime Minister Miro Cerar, which will aim to cut public spending and improve tax collection to help reduce the budget deficit to within EU limi…
Hollande asks Europe for patience with France, vows reform
PARIS (Reuters) – President Francois Hollande pleaded with Germany and other European partners on Thursday to be patient with France and give it more time to reform before it meets deficit targets, admitting that results were coming too slowly.
‘Gucci Grace, PhD’ stirs up race to lead post-Mugabe Zimbabwe
HARARE (Reuters) – Soon after being shoe-horned into the top ranks of Zimbabwe’s ruling party, the wife of ageing leader Robert Mugabe has gained a PhD in orphanages, seen as the latest sign that she may be destined for high office.
UK Muslim leaders call for release of Briton held by Islamic State
LONDON (Reuters) – Muslim groups across Britain called on Thursday for the release of British hostage Alan Henning, a volunteer aid worker captured in Syria whose life was threatened in a recent video released by Islamic State militants.
Nigeria police have special ‘torture officers’: Amnesty
LAGOS (Reuters) – Torture is so common in Nigeria’s police force that many police stations have a designated officer to carry out atrocities such as pulling teeth, choking, raping and delivering electric shocks to detainees, Amnesty International said …
Israel believes Syria kept ‘significant’ chemical munitions
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel believes Syria has retained caches of combat-ready chemical weapons after giving up raw materials used to produce such munitions under pressure from foreign powers, a senior Israeli official said on Thursday.
West tells Iran it must address nuclear bomb fears
VIENNA (Reuters) – Western powers told Iran on Thursday it must step up cooperation with a U.N. watchdog’s investigation into suspected atomic bomb research by the country if it wants to get a broader nuclear deal that would ease sanctions.
