South Africa says Zuma ‘fine’, plays down report of poor health
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African President Jacob Zuma’s health is “fine”, his spokesman said on Sunday, playing down a newspaper report that heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure caused the leader’s brief hospitalization two weeks ago….
Kerry to discuss possible oil supply disruptions from Iraq conflict-official
CAIRO (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will discuss with Gulf countries this week possible oil disruptions from the Iraq conflict, a senior State Department official said on Sunday.
South Korea troops surround soldier who killed five comrades
SEOUL (Reuters) – The parents of a South Korean conscript soldier who killed five comrades in a grenade and gun attack pleaded with him to surrender on Sunday, after he exchanged fire with troops who had tracked him down near a school close to the Nort…
Hundreds of thousands vote in Hong Kong democracy ‘poll’ in defiance of Beijing
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Nearly 600,000 votes have been cast in three days of an unofficial referendum on democratic reforms in Hong Kong, part of a civil campaign that has been branded illegal by the former British colony and by Communist Party authoriti…
Cruise ship carrying nearly 200 people evacuated in Netherlands
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – A cruise ship carrying 154 passengers and 40 crew was evacuated after it sprang a leak on a river in the eastern Netherlands early on Sunday morning, emergency services said.
Mud flung as Indonesia presidential race heats up
JAKARTA (Reuters) – One of the two hopefuls in Indonesia’s presidential election has been accused of being a closet Christian, the other of being a foreigner and unfit to lead the nation.
Cuffed knifeman ‘apologizes’ for holy war assault in China’s Xinjiang
BEIJING (Reuters) – One of the assailants who carried out an attack in western China that injured four people has apologized and said other members of his group had convinced him to participate in a “holy war”, state media said late on Saturday.
Syrian jets bomb eastern rebel towns near Iraq, at least 16 dead
AMMAN (Reuters) – Syrian jets bombed on Saturday rebel-held eastern areas close to the border with Iraq under the control of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, killing and injuring dozens in stepped up raids against the militant group since its …
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.
