U.S. business leader praises growth of free enterprise in Cuba
HAVANA (Reuters) – The head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce praised the growth of free enterprise in Cuba upon his arrival in Havana Tuesday at the start of a three-day visit that was criticized by a leading supporter of the U.S. embargo in Washington….
Anti-World Cup protesters march on Brasilia stadium, face tear gas
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Police fired tear gas canisters to contain anti-World Cup demonstrators who tried to march to the Brasilia stadium where the soccer tournament’s trophy was on public display on Tuesday.
Obama plans to end U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan by 2016
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday outlined a plan to withdraw all but 9,800 American troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year and pull out the rest by the end of 2016, ending more than a decade of military engagement t…
U.S. beefs up Mediterranean crisis force with warship, Marines
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. warship carrying about 1,000 Marines has moved into the Mediterranean Sea to augment the American crisis response force already deployed in the region, a military official said on Tuesday.
Mali’s defence minister resigns in wake of army defeats: sources
BAMAKO (Reuters) – Mali’s Defence Minister Soumeylou Boybeye Maiga resigned on Tuesday after Tuareg separatist rebels defeated an army assault on their stronghold Kidal last week and seized several northern towns, sources close to the minister said.
Emblematic Venezuelan prisoner begins hunger strike for freedom
CARACAS (Reuters) – An imprisoned former Caracas police commissioner at the center of stalled political talks between Venezuela’s government and opposition went on a hunger strike on Tuesday, demanding he be released due to frail health.
U.N. peacekeepers to focus on protecting South Sudan civilians
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday authorized peacekeepers in South Sudan to focus on protecting civilians instead of state-building activities, backing the use of force by U.N. troops amid worsening violence in the world’s…
Libyan Islamists to U.S.: Don’t interfere or face worse than Iraq
BENGHAZI Libya (Reuters) – The leader of Islamist militant group Ansar al-Sharia in Libya’s Benghazi city warned the United States on Tuesday against interference or it would face worse than the conflicts in Somalia, Iraq, or Afghanistan.
Iran’s population drive worries women’s rights, health advocates
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran’s supreme leader has called for a population increase, in an edict likely to restrict access to contraception that critics fear could damage women’s rights and public health.
Boko Haram attack kills 31 Nigerian security personnel
DAMATURU/MAIDUGURI Nigeria (Reuters) – Boko Haram gunmen attacked a Nigerian military base and adjacent police barracks in the northeastern town of Buni Yadi, killing 31 security personnel, security sources and witnesses said.
