El Salvador ex-rebel strongly placed to win run-off
SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) – A former Marxist guerrilla leader is in a strong position to win El Salvador’s presidential election in a run-off against his right-wing rival after falling just shy of an outright win in the first round of voting on Sunday.
Nigerian Muslim cleric opposed to Boko Haram shot dead
KADUNA, Nigeria (Reuters) – A Nigerian Muslim cleric who openly criticized Islamist sect Boko Haram has been killed in Zaria, hundreds of miles from where the military is fighting insurgents, police said on Monday.
Leftist Costa Rica outsider leads election, run-off expected
SAN JOSE (Reuters) – A left-leaning former diplomat edged ahead in Costa Rica’s presidential election on Sunday, riding a wave of disgust at government corruption to get within reach of wresting power from the centrist government in an April run-off.
UAE summons Qatari ambassador over Muslim cleric’s comments
DUBAI (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates summoned the Qatari ambassador over what it said were insults against the UAE made by a prominent cleric in a broadcast from Doha, state news agency WAM reported on Sunday.
China says no cover-ups using state secrecy as excuse
BEIJING (Reuters) – China has unveiled new rules telling officials not to cover up what should be publicly available information using the excuse it is a state secret, in what state media said was a move towards greater government transparency.
Al Qaeda says has no link with Syrian militant group ISIL
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Al Qaeda’s general command said on Monday it has no links with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), in an apparent attempt to assert authority over the Islamist militant groups involved in Syria’s civil war.
Gunmen kidnap second Westerner in Yemen within days: witnesses, police
SANAA (Reuters) – Unidentified gunmen kidnapped a Western man in Yemen on Monday, witnesses and a police source said, the second abduction in recent days that highlights the increasing breakdown in security in the U.S.-allied country.
South Africa’s Ramphele changes mind on opposition leadership role
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – Anti-apartheid activist Mamphela Ramphele will not run as the Democratic Alliance’s presidential candidate in this year’s election, South Africa’s main opposition party said on Monday, a blow to hopes a prominent leader would spur…
Strong earthquake strikes off western Greece, hits island of Cephalonia
ATHENS (Reuters) – A strong earthquake rattled the island of Cephalonia in western Greece early on Monday, the second tremor of this scale to hit the region in just over a week.
Cuban boat people land in Cayman, headed for Honduras
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (Reuters) – A 30-foot (9 meter) sailboat with about 30 Cuban refugees aboard docked in the Cayman Islands on Sunday and passengers said they were hoping to reach Honduras.
