Plaque honoring Soviet leader Brezhnev restored in Moscow
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A plaque commemorating late Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev was restored to the facade of his former apartment building on Thursday, a sign of nostalgia in line with President Vladimir Putin’s calls to respect all aspects of Russian hi…
Troops clash in South Sudan, African states mediate
JUBA (Reuters) – South Sudanese government troops battled to regain control of a flashpoint town and sent forces to quell fighting in a vital oil producing area on Thursday, the fifth day of a conflict that has deepened ethnic divisions in the two-year…
France expands Internet, phone monitoring powers
PARIS (Reuters) – France expanded the government’s powers to monitor phone and Internet connection data without judicial review as a last-minute opposition attempt to block the move failed to gather support.
The young, business-savvy pretender to Brazil’s throne
RECIFE/BRASILIA (Reuters) – To some Brazilians, especially in the business world, Eduardo Campos has all the traits of a perfect president.
Iran and Russia helping Syrian aid effort: European officials
GENEVA (Reuters) – Iran and Russia have used their influence on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government to get visas for U.N. aid workers and improve access for convoys in Syria, but much remains to be done, senior European officials told Reuters…
Bulgarian police makes arrests in suspected arms smuggling ring
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgarian police have arrested two Bulgarians and a Swedish citizen suspected of involvement in trafficking arms, possibly for use in contract killings in Western Europe, the interior ministry said on Thursday.
World Bank president calls corruption ‘Public Enemy No. 1’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The World Bank took a bold stance on fighting corruption on Thursday, with President Jim Yong Kim saying that corruption at both the public and private level is the scourge of the developing world.
International prosecutor asks for postponement of Kenyan president’s trial
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court asked for a delay to the trial of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday after the loss of a string of witnesses severely weakened the prosecution case.
Nigerian lawmakers defect in new blow to Jonathan
ABUJA (Reuters) – Thirty-seven Nigerian lawmakers have defected to the main opposition coalition, giving it a slim majority in the lower house of parliament, in a further blow to President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 re-election bid.
Suicide bombers kill 36 Shi’ite pilgrims in Iraq: police
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Suicide bombings in Iraq killed at least 36 people on Thursday in attacks targeting Shi’ite pilgrims ahead of a major holy day next week, police said.
