Italy’s Renzi wins confidence vote on temporary labor rule
ROME (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi easily won a confidence vote on Wednesday over his plans to ease rules for companies that hire temporary workers, part of a broader plan to overhaul labor regulations.
Mine injures peacekeeper as diplomats visit Mali’s Kidal
BAMAKO (Reuters) – A mine exploded in the northern Malian town of Kidal on Wednesday, seriously injuring a United Nations peacekeeper from Guinea but not affecting a delegation of visiting diplomats, a U.N. spokesman said.
Syrians’ plight worsens, hope for political deal fades
GENEVA (Reuters) – Hopes for a political deal to end Syria’s war are fading and it is getting harder every day to send aid to millions of trapped and displaced civilians, U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said on Wednesday.
Children’s corpses reveal desperate attempts to escape Korean ferry
MOKPO/SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean divers swam though dark, cold waters into a sunken ferry on Wednesday, feeling for children’s bodies with their hands in a maze of cabins, corridors and upturned decks as they searched for hundreds of missing.
First candidate for Syria’s presidential election steps forward
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A Syrian lawmaker has nominated himself for president, state media said on Wednesday, the first candidate in an election likely to cement President Bashar al-Assad’s rule over a country devastated by civil war.
Saudi prince says Gulf states must balance threat from Iran
DUBAI (Reuters) – A senior member of Saudi Arabia’s royal family said on Wednesday that Gulf states should work on acquiring nuclear know-how to balance any threat from Iran.
Israeli air strike in Gaza wounds 12: medical officials
GAZA (Reuters) – Israel launched an air strike on Wednesday in the Gaza Strip, wounding 12 civilians including children and apparently missing its target, medical officials in the Hamas-ruled territory and Israeli reports said.
Turkey’s Erdogan offers condolences for 1915 Armenia killings
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan offered what the government said were unprecedented condolences on Wednesday to the grandchildren of Armenians killed in World War One by Ottoman soldiers.
Colombia’s Santos reinstates Bogota mayor after court ruling
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos on Wednesday signed a decree to restore Gustavo Petro as mayor of Bogota, just weeks after a judicial authority dismissed him for mismanagement of waste collection.
Chile president launches long-awaited electoral reform bill
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Chilean president Michelle Bachelet sent Congress a bill on Wednesday to reform an electoral system inherited from the country’s 17-year military dictatorship, making good on a key campaign promise.
