South Africa’s Zuma slammed for $23 million home makeover
PRETORIA (Reuters) – South African President Jacob Zuma “benefitted unduly” from a $23 million state-funded security upgrade to his private home that included a swimming pool, cattle enclosure and amphitheatre, the public protector said on Wednesday.
Seven dead in shooting at Turkey statistics office
ANKARA (Reuters) – A worker at a Turkish statistics office in the eastern province of Kars shot dead six people before committing suicide on Wednesday, in what local media said appeared to have been a revenge attack over a professional dispute.
Putin signs Crimea treaty as Ukraine serviceman dies in attack
MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) – Defying Ukrainian protests and Western sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty in Moscow on Tuesday making Crimea part of Russia again, but said he did not plan to seize any other regions of Ukraine.
Two Hong Kong men charged in stabbing attack on former editor
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Authorities in Hong Kong charged two men on Wednesday with wounding following last month’s stabbing of the former editor of a major newspaper.
EU, U.S. denounce China’s arrests of activists
GENEVA (Reuters) – The United States and European Union (EU) accused China on Tuesday of using arrests and harassment to silence human rights activists, also voicing consternation at the death in custody of a prominent dissident.
Lebanese army reopens road to town near Syrian border
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Lebanese army reopened a road between two towns near the Syrian border on Wednesday to try to calm sectarian rivalry aggravated by the conflict in neighboring Syria.
Israeli troops kill Palestinian teenager in the West Bank
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian youth on Wednesday in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials and the Israeli military said.
Italian ships rescue more than 2,000 migrants in 48 hours
ROME (Reuters) – Italian naval and coastguard vessels rescued more than 2,000 migrants travelling in boats from North Africa over the past 48 hours, authorities said on Wednesday, underlining the scale of illegal migration into southern Europe.
Zimbabwe caps salaries for “fat cat” state executives
HARARE (Reuters) – President Robert Mugabe’s government has slashed pay and perks for managers of Zimbabwe’s state-owned firms, in a bid to ease public anger over “fat cat” executive salaries, the country’s finance minister said on Wednesday.
EU aims to deploy Central Africa mission by end-April: general
PARIS (Reuters) – The European Union wants to deploy troops to Central African Republic by the end of April, the general picked to lead the proposed mission said on Wednesday, adding the crisis in Ukraine had delayed its launch.
