Benin president pardons alleged plotters after French mediation
COTONOU (Reuters) – Benin’s President Boni Yayi has publicly pardoned those accused of trying to poison him in an alleged 2012 coup attempt after the mediation of international figures, including the president of France.
IMF says Mali cash delayed over questionable jet purchase
DAKAR (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund says it will delay the disbursement of $6 million in aid to Mali pending a clarification from the government on the purchase of a $40 million presidential jet, an IMF spokesman said.
Furious Turks heckle Erdogan after at least 274 die in mine disaster
SOMA, Turkey (Reuters) – Furious Turks heckled Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and jostled his entourage on Wednesday as protests erupted in several cities over a coal mine disaster in which at least 274 people died, making it the worst industrial accide…
Kerry discusses peace, unity government with Palestinian leader
LONDON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held a two-hour discussion with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in London late on Wednesday in their first meeting since U.S. efforts to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal collapsed last m…
White House urges dialogue, not intimidation in China rig dispute
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said on Wednesday that a dispute between China and Vietnam that erupted within days of President Barack Obama’s visit to Asia to address regional tensions needs to be resolved with dialogue, not intimidation.
Nigeria rejects swap of Boko Haram prisoners for schoolgirls: UK official
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) – Nigeria’s president has rejected an offer from Islamist rebel group Boko Haram to exchange schoolgirls it abducted for imprisoned militants, but the government is open to broader talks with the rebels, a visiting British …
IMF says Mali cash to be delayed over questionable jet purchase
DAKAR (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund says it questions the rationale of and procedures that led to Mali buying a $40 million presidential jet given the country’s pledges to fight poverty, a spokesman said.
South African police vow to crack down on strike intimidation
MARIKANA, South Africa (Reuters) – South Africa’s police minister vowed to crack down on violence against platinum miners who were trying to return to work and arrest “within hours” strikers he said were behind a campaign of intimidation.
Japan’s working poor left behind by Abenomics
TOKYO (Reuters) – Last Christmas Eve, Ririko Saito and her 11-year-old daughter gathered some plastic bottles, pots and a kettle and made several trips to a nearby park to get water. Their utility had just turned off the tap after months of unpaid bill…
U.S. reconstruction push overwhelming Kabul’s finances: watchdog
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has spent $103 billion on rebuilding everything from hospitals to security forces in Afghanistan, but Kabul’s modest finances make it unlikely the projects could be maintained in the future, a top U.S. watchdog …
