Broken north undermines Keita’s pledge of strong, united Mali
BAMAKO (Reuters) – President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita won power with a pledge to resurrect a “strong and united” Mali from the ashes of a war against Islamists militants yet six months later he has done little to heal the wounds of the conflict.
How the separatists delivered Crimea to Moscow
SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (Reuters) – Within a week of its building being taken over by armed gunmen last month, the regional parliament in Crimea was voting in favor of the Ukrainian region becoming part of Russia.
Exclusive: EU approves framework for asset freezes, travel bans on Russia
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union member states have agreed the wording of sanctions on Russia, including travel restrictions and asset freezes against those responsible for violating the sovereignty of Ukraine, according to a draft document reviewed…
Algerian police halt opposition march against Bouteflika bid
ALGIERS (Reuters) – Algerian police prevented opposition leaders from marching on Wednesday to demand a boycott of next month’s election, in which President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is seeking a fourth term in power.
Iran hosts Syria conference of Assad sympathizers
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran hosted a rival version of a “Friends of Syria” conference on Wednesday, convening lawmakers from allies around the world to push for a diplomatic solution to Syria’s civil war and lambaste alleged Western interference.
Manila air-drops supplies to troops on disputed shoal
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines air-dropped food and water to soldiers stationed on a grounded transport ship on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, after China blocked two Filipino supply ships from reaching the troops, a senior navy official said on…
Court rules against gag on ‘frank’ letters from UK’s Prince Charles
LONDON (Reuters) – The possible publication of potentially embarrassing letters written by British heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles moved a step closer on Wednesday when a gagging order on them was declared unlawful by a court.
French government on defensive over Sarkozy phone-taps
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s justice minister on Wednesday defied calls for her to quit after it emerged that she knew former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s phone was being tapped, apparently contradicting an earlier statement from her.
Greek public sector workers strike over job cuts, thousands rally
ATHENS (Reuters) – Thousands of striking public sector workers marched through Athens on Wednesday to protest against planned job cuts demanded by foreign lenders as unemployment in the country holds near record highs.
Islamist militants, local men said to kill 22 in Syrian village
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Islamist militants and their local supporters have killed at least 22 people in a village in northern Syria near the Turkish border, opposition activists said on Wednesday.
