U.S., citing new hope for Somalia, to name Somalia ambassador
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States, seeing new hope for Somalia, will appoint a new ambassador to Mogadishu for the first time since closing its embassy there 23 years ago as the East African country descended into chaos, a senior U.S. government…
U.S. presses allies to raise defense spending after Ukraine
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel urged NATO allies on Tuesday to raise their defense budgets due to the Ukraine crisis, saying a spending slide could pose as big a threat to the alliance’s future as any enemy.
Outgoing Libyan PM Thinni to stay for now after rival takes office
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Outgoing Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni said he was still running the government on Tuesday, a day after the new premier Ahmed Maiteeq seized the government leader’s main office in a power struggle.
Turkey’s Erdogan calls CNN reporter ‘agent’ for his coverage of protests
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called CNN correspondent Ivan Watson a “flunky” and an “agent” for his coverage of anti-government protests days after police harassed him live on air.
Syrians vote in wartime election set to extend Assad’s rule
DAMASCUS (Reuters) – Syrians voted on Tuesday in an election expected to deliver an overwhelming victory for President Bashar al-Assad but which his opponents have dismissed as a charade in the midst of Syria’s devastating civil war.
Sisi won 96.91 percent in Egypt’s presidential vote-commission
CAIRO (Reuters) – Former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi won 96.91 percent in Egypt’s presidential vote last week, the election commission said on Tuesday, confirming interim results that had given him a landslide victory.
Merkel eyes IMF’s Lagarde for EU Commission chief: sources
PARIS (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel has asked France whether it would be willing to put forward International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde as president of the European Commission, two French sources briefed on the exchanges said….
Germany says report Merkel suggested Lagarde for top EU job untrue
BERLIN (Reuters) – A Reuters report that German Chancellor Angela Merkel has asked France whether it would be willing to put forward IMF chief Christine Lagarde as president of the European Commission is untrue, a German government spokesman said on Tu…
Niger says it has intercepted over 500 Sahara migrants
NIAMEY (Reuters) – Niger has stopped more than 500 would-be migrants trying to cross the Sahara into neighboring Algeria in the past four months, the justice ministry said on Tuesday, as it cracks down on gangs ferrying people across the desert.
EU antitrust regulators studying D-Day TV cost row
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union regulators are reviewing several complaints about the cost of access to this week’s 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings to see if this breaches the bloc’s antitrust and telecoms rules.
