Saudi Arabia loans Pakistan $1.5 billion to shore up economy
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia loaned $1.5 billion to Pakistan last month to help Islamabad shore up its foreign exchange reserves, meet debt-service obligations and undertake large energy and infrastructure projects, Pakistani officials have told …
East African states to send troops to monitor South Sudan ceasefire – mediator
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – East African states agreed on Thursday to deploy troops into South Sudan by mid-April to help enforce a ceasefire deal between government forces and rebels, the chief mediator in peace talks between the two sides said.
Madagascar says IMF restores ties five years after coup
ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund has restored ties with Madagascar for the first time since a coup on the Indian Ocean island in 2009, the government said on Thursday, making it the first donor to do so since a peaceful election…
Life sentence sought in France’s first Rwanda genocide trial
PARIS (Reuters) – French prosecutors are seeking a life term for a Rwandan ex-soldier accused of participating in the country’s 1994 genocide, in a verdict due on Friday that could decide whether Paris and Kigali bring up to 20 other such cases to cour…
Ukrainian oligarch Firtash arrested in Vienna: sources
VIENNA (Reuters) – The Ukrainian businessman arrested in Vienna this week at the request of U.S. authorities is Dmytro Firtash, Austrian government sources said on Thursday.
Indian diplomat in U.S. row wins indictment dismissal
NEW YORK/NEW DELHI (Reuters) – An Indian diplomat charged in New York with visa fraud and making false statements about her domestic worker has won a dismissal of her federal indictment, in a move that could help smooth over a dispute that has frayed U…
A nervous region eyes robust Chinese response to missing Malaysian plane
HONG KONG (Reuters) – From high-resolution satellites to advanced warships, China’s military build-up is on full display in the hunt for a missing Malaysian jetliner – putting Asia on notice as to what Beijing might do in the future to further assert i…
China premier warns on economic slowdown as data fans stimulus talk
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese Premier Li Keqiang warned on Thursday that the economy faces “severe challenges” in 2014 – comments that came as weak data fanned speculation the central bank would relax monetary policy to support stuttering growth.
Greek journalist-turned-politician rides anti-establishment wave
ATHENS (Reuters) – A television journalist-turned-political crusader promising to shake up Greek politics is winning unexpectedly strong support from voters in the run-up to European elections in May.
Afghan Taliban step up attacks on election officials, voters
KABUL (Reuters) – Taliban militants are stepping up efforts to destabilize Afghanistan ahead of next month’s presidential vote, kidnapping election workers and executing villagers at random to scare people off voting, officials and campaigners said.
