Tunisian militant landmine blast kills soldier
TUNIS (Reuters) – A Tunisian soldier was killed and another wounded in a landmine explosion near the Algerian border where security forces are pursuing Islamist militants, the army said on Monday.
British diplomat to visit Iran for first time in two years
DUBAI (Reuters) – Britain’s newly-appointed envoy will travel to Iran on Tuesday, the first diplomatic visit by a British official since its embassy in Tehran was stormed more than two years ago.
Insight: In Egypt, ideas of a radical Islamist make comeback
ALEXANDRIA/CAIRO (Reuters) – Young Egyptian Islamists seeking a way to confront the military-led state are turning to the ideas of a radical ideologue who waged the same struggle half a century ago and later became a source of inspiration for al Qaeda….
Somali prime minister voted out by lawmakers
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Somalia’s parliament voted on Monday to sack Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon, the speaker of parliament said, after a row with the president that has paralyzed the state and threatened a shaky recovery from war.
Hundreds of Gazans protest at sea over Israeli naval blockade
GAZA (Reuters) – Hundreds of Palestinian youth activists sailed from the shores of the Gaza Strip on Monday to protest at Israel’s restrictions on fishing in the seas off the Islamist-ruled enclave.
Putin faces protests as he woos Armenia
YEREVAN (Reuters) – About 500 people marched through the capital of Armenia on Monday to denounce visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin and to protest against plans to join a Moscow-led customs union.
Letta prepares to tackle Italy’s voting law stalemate
ROME (Reuters) – With Silvio Berlusconi now out of parliament, Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta is under pressure to overhaul a voting law blamed for dragging Italy into political and economic stalemate after the last election.
Congo’s President in Uganda for talks on stalled peace deal
KAMPALA (Reuters) – The Democratic Republic of Congo’s president, Joseph Kabila, flew into Uganda on Monday for talks aimed at reviving a peace deal between his government and rebel fighters, a Ugandan official said.
Turkey stands by Kurdish oil deal, seeks to appease Baghdad
ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) – Turkey said on Monday it stood by a bilateral oil deal with Iraq’s Kurdistan region that bypassed central government but sought to appease Baghdad by drawing it into the arrangement.
Bolshoi performers say Russian dancer’s guilt not proven
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Performers at Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre made a last-minute plea for leniency on Monday for a dancer accused of ordering an acid attack on its artistic director, praising his “wonderful human qualities” and saying he was incapable of s…