Israel names two Hamas militants as key suspects in kidnappings
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel on Thursday named two Hamas Islamists as leading suspects in the June 12 kidnappings of three Israeli teenagers, in the most concrete report yet of results after weeks of searches in the occupied West Bank.
Abuja bomb cuts short Nigeria president’s trip to AU summit
ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has cut short a trip to an African Union summit in Gabon a day after a bomb blast in Abuja, his office said on Thursday, highlighting how an Islamist insurgency could disrupt Nigeria’s regional inf…
Ex-Murdoch CEO Brooks says vindicated by not guilty verdicts
LONDON (Reuters) – Rebekah Brooks, the former boss of News Corp.’s British newspaper arm, said on Thursday she felt vindicated after being found not guilty this week of hacking phone messages and other crimes while editing Rupert Murdoch’s British tabl…
Niger detains 17 in suspected “baby factory” ring: sources
NIAMEY (Reuters) – Authorities in Niger have detained 17 people, including wives of senior politicians, suspected of being involved in a baby-trafficking network, two legal sources said on Thursday.
Saudi king orders steps against ‘terrorist threats’
RIYADH (Reuters) – King Abdullah ordered all necessary measures to protect Saudi Arabia against potential “terrorist threats” after chairing a security meeting to discuss the fall-out from Iraq, the state news agency SPA said on Thursday.
India’s new government accused of interfering with judicial independence
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s new prime minister, Narendra Modi, faces accusations his government ran a campaign to block the appointment of a Supreme Court judge it believed was biased against it, fuelling a debate about judicial independence in the w…
British spymaster John Sawers, head of MI6, to step down
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s foreign spymaster, who at times quoted Machiavelli and fought off demands to ease secrecy around his MI6 intelligence agency, will step down in November after five years, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.
Turkey submits bill to boost Kurdish peace process
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s government sent a bill to parliament on Thursday setting out a legal framework for peace talks with Kurdish militants, a step that may boost support for Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan before an August presidential election.
Uighur scholar kept in chains in China, lawyer says
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese authorities held a prominent Uighur academic in leg irons for 20 days and forced him to go without food, his lawyer said on Thursday, after seeing his client for the first time since he was arrested more than five months ago…
Erdogan’s presidential rival says keep religion out of politics
ANKARA (Reuters) – The main Turkish opposition candidate for president stressed the need to keep religion out of politics on Thursday and called for national unity, a clear challenge to the divisive but popular Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan who looks s…
