Mauritanians vote in presidential poll amid opposition boycott
NOUAKCHOTT (Reuters) – Mauritanians voted on Saturday in an election certain to return President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to office for another five years, but he struggled to secure a turnout high enough to give him a convincing mandate amid a poll boy…
Belarus releases human rights activist ahead of time
MINSK (Reuters) – Belarus on Saturday unexpectedly freed leading rights activist Ales Belyatsky, whose jailing for tax evasion in November 2011 prompted an outcry in the European Union and human rights circles.
Egypt upholds death sentence on Brotherhood leader, nearly 200 supporters
CAIRO (Reuters) – An Egyptian court confirmed death sentences on Saturday against the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and 182 supporters, in a mass trial of Islamists who ruled Egypt for a year but face a fierce crackdown under the new president, Abde…
Brazil’s Rousseff picked by party for tough election October 5
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s ruling Workers’ Party formally nominated President Dilma Rousseff on Saturday to run for re-election in October in what is shaping up to be its toughest race since winning power in 2002.
Poroshenko’s Ukraine peace plan gets limited support from Putin
MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) – Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Saturday voiced limited support for Ukraine’s unilateral ceasefire in its conflict with pro-Russian separatists, but told President Petro Poroshenko there had to be talks with the rebels to prevent the…
Iraq militants take Syria border post in drive for caliphate
ANBAR, IRAQ(Reuters) – Sunni fighters have seized a border post on the Iraq-Syria frontier, security sources said, smashing a line drawn by colonial powers a century ago in a campaign to create an Islamic Caliphate from the Mediterranean Sea to Iran.
Al Qaeda denies most of its Yemen fighters are foreigners
ABU DHABI (Reuters) – Islamist websites published an al Qaeda statement on Saturday denying claims by Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi that the vast majority of its fighters in the troubled country are foreigners.
European left-wingers back Juncker for EU Commission
PARIS (Reuters) – Left-wing European leaders agreed on Saturday to back Luxembourg conservative Jean-Claude Juncker for the post of European Commission president, saying they would seek other top EU jobs for their party allies in return.
Gunmen kill ‘many’ in attack on Nigerian village: witness
MAIDUGURI Nigeria (Reuters) – Suspected Islamist militants stormed a village in northeast Nigeria on Saturday, killing several people and torching houses near where more than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped two months ago, a witness said.
South Korea soldier shoots dead five comrades near border with North
SEÚL (Reuters) – A South Korean conscript soldier shot and killed five of his fellow unit members and injured five others late on Saturday at a guard post near the heavily armed border with North Korea, a South Korean official said.
