Italy’s Renzi wins final confidence vote, pledging reform
ROME (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi won a final parliamentary vote of confidence on Tuesday after pledging to slash red tape and “revolutionize” the economy.
Syrians set to replace Afghans as largest refugee population: U.N.
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Syrians are about to replace Afghans as the world’s largest refugee population, fleeing a conflict where barrel bombs leave bodies in pieces and a generation of children are physically and emotionally scarred, top U.N. offici…
Pakistan launches new strikes near Afghan border; warns militants
PESHAWAR, Pakistan/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Pakistani military launched new air strikes targeting militant hideouts in the North Waziristan tribal region on Tuesday, killing at least 30 people, and a senior government official warned of a big offensi…
Iraqi leaders give conflicting answers on reported Iran arms deal
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraqi officials gave contradictory accounts on Tuesday about whether or not Baghdad had agreed to buy $195 million worth of arms and ammunition from Iran as reported by Reuters, a deal that if confirmed could damage Iraqi-U.S. relat…
Eyeing Afghan exit, U.S. intensifies campaign against Haqqani militants
KABUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has intensified its drive against the Taliban-linked Haqqani network in an attempt to deal a lasting blow to the militants in Afghanistan before foreign combat forces depart this year, according to multipl…
United Nations chief urges Uganda to repeal anti-gay law
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Uganda on Tuesday to repeal a law imposing harsh penalties for homosexuality, warning it could fuel prejudice and encourage harassment and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual a…
Turkish PM says tapes of talk with son a fabrication
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s Prime Minister accused political enemies of hacking encrypted state communications to fake a phone conversation suggesting he warned his son to hide large sums of money before police raids in a graft inquiry that reached int…
France’s Hollande steps in to calm row with Morocco
PARIS (Reuters) – President Francois Hollande telephoned the king of Morocco to try to calm a rare diplomatic row between France and its former colony about allegations of human rights abuses.
Romania’s ruling coalition ruptures as elections loom
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania’s Liberal party pulled the plug on the coalition government on Tuesday, in a break-up that might disrupt five years of economic reform backed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the European Union’s second poorest …
Georgia PM says he hopes Ukraine will choose Europe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Georgian Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili on Tuesday urged Ukraine to consider following his country’s path of integration with the West through increased trade and investment, as it grapples with its future.
