Islamist militants kill 30 in attacks around Iraq
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Suspected Sunni Muslim militants killed at least 30 people around Iraq on Thursday including 12 soldiers in an assault on a remote army base in the north, deepening insecurity with a national election just two weeks away.
French troops free five aid workers kidnapped in Mali
BAMAKO/PARIS (Reuters) – French troops in Mali on Thursday freed five local aid workers kidnapped in February, the presidents of France and Mali said in a joint statement.
Kosovo PM urges vote on new war crimes court but calls it insult
PRISTINA (Reuters) – Kosovo’s premier has summoned parliament to vote on creating an EU-backed special court to try ethnic Albanian ex-guerrillas accused of harvesting organs from murdered Serbs during the Balkan state’s 1990s war, but criticized the p…
Turkish ruling party wants Erdogan presidential bid: officials
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s ruling party would overwhelmingly back Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s candidacy in the nation’s first direct presidential election, senior officials said on Thursday, a move his opponents fear would feed his autocratic inst…
Burundi orders U.N. security adviser out after violence warning
BUJUMBURA (Reuters) – Burundi ordered a security adviser at the United Nations mission in the country to leave on Thursday, escalating a row that started with a warning by the U.N. last week of a possible outbreak of political violence.
Russia’s South Stream pipeline splits EU energy policy
LONDON (Reuters) – Russia’s South Stream gas pipeline is splitting European Union energy policy as EU leaders look to block the project while some member states see it as a solution to supply disruptions via Ukraine.
Iraqi Kurds entrench political faultline with Syria border ditch
ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraqi Kurds are digging a 17-km (10-mile) trench on their border with Syria, reinforcing a political faultline between the two rival parties that dominate on either side of the frontier.
Pistorius trial adjourns until May, state mauls forensic expert
PRETORIA (Reuters) – The murder trial of Olympic and Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius was adjourned on Thursday until May 5 after the state wrapped up three days of punishing cross-examination of a forensic expert brought by the defense.
Saudi activist sentenced to 15 years in jail for protests: lawyer
DUBAI (Reuters) – A judge on Thursday sentenced a Saudi blogger and activist to 15 years in jail for taking part in protests and defaming the kingdom by communicating with foreigners and through publishing articles on the Internet, his lawyer said.
Gunmen kidnap Tunisian diplomat in Libya
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – A Tunisian diplomat was kidnapped on Thursday in the Libyan capital Tripoli, Libya’s foreign ministry said, two days after gunmen seized Jordan’s ambassador.
