Mali PM, northern armed groups prepare for peace talks
BAMAKO/DAKAR (Reuters) – Mali’s new prime minister pledged on Tuesday to revive long-delayed peace talks on the troubled north while armed groups from the region said they would hold a preparatory meeting with Algeria ahead of the negotiations.
U.N. Security Council lifts ban on Ivory Coast diamond exports
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday partially eased a decade-long arms embargo on Ivory Coast and removed a ban on its diamond exports, a measure that U.N. experts said had failed to stop illicit trafficking.
Tunisian PM says economic reforms will be paced to avoid unrest
PARIS (Reuters) – Tunisia will not need to access financial markets to manage its budget deficit this year, its prime minister said on Tuesday, while ruling out harsh public spending cuts that could stoke popular unrest.
Brazil’s Rousseff drops in new poll, rivals gain
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Nagging concerns about rising consumer prices and a political scandal involving Brazil’s state-run oil company are taking a toll on President Dilma Rousseff’s popularity, increasing the chances that an opposition challenger can for…
Bosnia introduces jail terms to curb recruitment for Syria
SARAJEVO (Reuters) – Bosnia introduced jail terms of up to 10 years on Tuesday for any citizen who fights in or recruits for conflicts abroad, seeking to curb departure of young Bosnians to Syria who could return to pose a threat at home.
Putin foes fear Internet crackdown as ‘blogger law’ sails through
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s upper house of parliament approved a law on Tuesday that will impose stricter rules on bloggers and is seen by critics as an attempt by President Vladimir Putin to stifle dissent on the Internet.
Zimbabwe opposition leader Tsvangirai expels party challenger
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC Morgan Tsvangirai on Tuesday expelled party secretary general and former finance minister Tendai Biti, the latest installment in infighting that has effectively split the movement into two camps.
U.N. renews Western Sahara mission, but without rights monitors
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council renewed a U.N. peacekeeping mission in the disputed North African territory of Western Sahara for another year on Tuesday, and urged all sides to respect human rights, but it did not call for the Uni…
Slovenian PM, ousted as party boss, wants election by July
LJUBLJANA (Reuters) – Slovenian Prime Minister Alenka Bratusek said on Tuesday she would remain at the helm of her coalition government until an early election, which she said she would like to see by July.
Yemeni army in major ground offensive against al Qaeda
ADEN (Reuters) – Yemeni troops, backed by air force planes, launched a major offensive against al Qaeda strongholds in the south of the country on Tuesday to try to eradicate the Islamist militant group that had killed hundreds since 2011.
