Hollande braces for pain in French local vote, far right set for gains
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s ruling Socialist party is bracing for potentially heavy losses in mid-term local election on Sunday, a vote that could jeopardize reforms and hand major gains to the far-right National Front.
Protesters in Chile keep heat on Bachelet to make good on reforms
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of protesters marched in Chile on Saturday to press center-left President Michelle Bachelet to follow through with the ambitious reforms she pledged before assuming power less than two weeks ago.
Algeria’s Bouteflika says health won’t prevent election bid, vows reforms
ALGIERS (Reuters) – President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said in a letter addressed to Algerians on Saturday his poor health would not prevent him from running for a fourth term and promised constitutional reforms if he wins the April 17 election.
Venezuela protest death toll rises to 33
CARACAS (Reuters) – Two Venezuelans died from gunshot wounds during protests against socialist President Nicolas Maduro, witnesses and local media said on Saturday, pushing the death toll from almost two months of anti-government demonstrations to 33.
Bomb blast in Bahrain’s Sitra village injures policeman: official
MANAMA (Reuters) – A bomb exploded on Saturday in the Bahraini village of Sitra, east of Manama, causing minor injuries to a policeman, a source from Bahrain’s interior ministry said.
Guinea confirms fever is Ebola, has killed up to 59
CONAKRY (Reuters) – Guinea has received confirmation that a mysterious disease that has killed up to 59 people in the West African country, and may have spread to neighboring Sierra Leone, is the hemorrhagic fever Ebola, the government said on Saturday…
Dutch right-wingers leave party over anti-Moroccan chant
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Dutch right-wing populist Geert Wilders has been hit by a further prominent resignation from his party after leading an anti-Moroccan chant, deepening the crisis for his Party for Freedom (PVV), which had been leading in opinion p…
Shots fired as Russian troops force their way into Ukrainian base in Crimea
BELBEK AIRBASE, Crimea (Reuters) – Russian troops forced their way into a Ukrainian airbase in Crimea with armored vehicles, automatic fire and stun grenades on Saturday, injuring a Ukrainian serviceman and detaining the base’s commander for talks.
Iraqi journalist killed by Kurdish officer at Baghdad checkpoint
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – An Iraqi journalist was shot dead by a Kurdish officer at a checkpoint in Baghdad on Saturday as he went to work, provoking protests by other journalists and a promise by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to arrest the perpetrator.
U.S. forces hand over seized oil tanker to Libya
ZAWIYA PORT, Libya (Reuters) – The U.S. Navy handed over to Libyan authorities on Saturday an oil tanker carrying crude that had been loaded at a port controlled by armed rebels in defiance of Tripoli’s government.
