Sri Lanka escapes Commonwealth censure after fractious summit
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s human rights record was glaringly absent from a communiqué issued by Commonwealth leaders on Sunday at the end of a fractious summit dominated by allegations of war crimes during the bloody climax of the island’s 26-year civil war.
Greeks rally against austerity, mark 40 years since student revolt
ATHENS (Reuters) – Thousands of Greeks protesting against austerity marched through the streets of Athens on Sunday to mark the 40th anniversary of a bloody student uprising against the then-ruling military junta.
Voters allege coercion in Kosovo ballot central to EU accord
MITROVICA, Kosovo (Reuters) – Ethnic Serbs trickled to polling stations in northern Kosovo on Sunday in a re-run that is central to a plan brokered by the European Union to end the country’s ethnic partition but has been marred by what locals said was …
France assures Israel it will stand firm on Iran deal
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – President Francois Hollande assured Israel on Sunday that France would continue to oppose an easing of economic sanctions against Iran until it was convinced Tehran had ended a pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Merkel and SPD coalition talks enter final make-or-break phase
BERLIN (Reuters) – Angela Merkel’s conservatives and Germany’s Social Democrats have forged a political marriage before and know each other’s ways, but as a new “big day” approaches, they are having to work hard to convince skeptical party members and …
EU launches new drive to end deadlock over Ukraine’s Tymoshenko
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union envoys will make another attempt this week to break a deadlock over jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko that has jeopardized plans by the EU and Ukraine to sign a landmark trade and cooperation deal.
New Maldives leader vows stability after crisis, protests
MALE (Reuters) – New Maldives President Abdulla Yameen pledged on Sunday to end two years of political turmoil that have brought violent protests to the holiday paradise, as he was sworn in after defeating the favorite Mohamed Nasheed in a run-off.
Syrian army besieges town in strategic Qalamoun mountains
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian forces are besieging a key town in the Qalamoun mountains, activists said on Sunday, a region used by rebels to cross from Lebanon and which links the capital to government strongholds along the coast.
Georgian leader vows integration with EU, better ties with Russia
TBILISI (Reuters) – Georgian President Georgy Margvelashvili said he was ready to mend ties with Russia strained under his predecessor by a brief war and by trade disputes, but stood by the ex-Soviet state’s pro-Western course at his inauguration on Su…
Three killed in shelling in troubled north Yemen town, Salafis say
SANAA (Reuters) – Three people were killed on Sunday when Shi’ite Houthi rebels shelled a school in a northern Yemeni town where sectarian fighting has killed more than 100 people, a spokesman for a hardline Sunni Muslim group said.
