Blasts shake five polling stations in Libya, no one hurt
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Explosions rocked five polling stations in eastern Libya on Thursday as voters began electing a body to draft a new constitution, another step in the OPEC producer’s rocky transition since Muammar Gaddafi fell in 2011.
South Sudan oil state capital divided, says government
JUBA (Reuters) – The capital of South Sudan’s main oil-producing region was divided between the army and rebels on Thursday, but the government said it remained committed to peace talks which have stalled this month.
Austrian president weighs visit to Iran
VIENNA (Reuters) – Austrian President Heinz Fischer has been invited to Iran, a country keen to revive ties with the EU member that for centuries was Tehran’s bridgehead to Europe.
Separated for over six decades, tears and joy at Korean reunions
SEOUL (Reuters) – More than 100 South Koreans, many of them on wheelchairs, crossed the world’s most heavily fortified border on Thursday to be reunited with family members living in the North whom they have not seen since the 1950-53 Korean War.
Bulgaria says identified third suspect in Burgas bus bombing
SOFIA (Reuters) – A third suspect has been identified in the bombing of a bus that killed five Israeli tourists in the Black Sea city of Burgas in 2012 that Bulgarian authorities have blamed on the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Aides give Japan’s Abe a headache on history, U.S. alliance
TOKYO (Reuters) – Remarks by aides to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about U.S.-Japan ties and the wartime past are giving the Japanese leader a political headache as he seeks to soothe strains with key ally Washington amid rising regional tensions.
Venezuela’s violent crime fuels the death business
CARACAS (Reuters) – Strewn with smashed headstones, empty whisky bottles and the odd spent bullet casing, Caracas’ 19th century Southern Cemetery is a sprawling symbol of the violent crime engulfing Venezuela.
Nigeria’s president suspends central bank governor: spokesman
LAGOS (Reuters) – Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has suspended Central Bank Governor Lamido Sanusi, an increasingly outspoken critic of the government’s record on tackling rampant corruption, the presidential spokesman said on Thursday.
China charges former mining magnate with murder, gun-running
BEIJING (Reuters) – China unveiled dramatic details of charges against a former mining magnate on Thursday, accusing him of crimes ranging from murder to gun-running and extortion as part of a “mafia-style” gang he led.
Japan to include nuclear power in mid-term energy policy: source
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan will incorporate nuclear power in its mid-term energy policy, citing it as an “important base load” energy source, and aims to approve the plan at a cabinet meeting in March, a source close to the matter told Reuters.
