Three suspected militants killed in drone strike in Yemen
SANAA (Reuters) – Three suspected al Qaeda militants were killed in northwestern Yemen on Wednesday, in what local officials said was a strike by a U.S. drone.
Macedonia’s lawmakers dissolve parliament, early vote likely in April
SKOPJE (Reuters) – Lawmakers in Macedonia voted to dissolve parliament on Wednesday, clearing the way for a snap election expected in April after the multi-ethnic ruling coalition failed to agree on a candidate for president.
Roadside bomb kills six Pakistani soldiers as violence spirals
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – A roadside bomb killed at least six soldiers on Wednesday as militant violence spiraled across Pakistan amid the government’s increasingly futile efforts to engage the Pakistani Taliban in peace negotiations.
Ambitious U.S. hospital project in Afghanistan faces failure
KABUL (Reuters) – An ambitious U.S.-funded project to build hospitals in Afghanistan has run into the ground, with the largest hospital ever planned in the country unlikely to open in full, U.S. and Afghan officials said.
I’m not a superman, Pope Francis says
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis has played down the notion that he is a “superman” who will bring sweeping reforms to the Roman Catholic church, stressing that its ban on contraception and opposition to gay marriage will remain in place.
Nigerian president picks ex-general as defense minister
ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan appointed an experienced former army general from the Muslim north as his defense minister on Wednesday, as he looks to combat an increasingly bloody Islamist insurgency there.
China signals focus on reforms and leaner, cleaner growth
BEIJING (Reuters) – China sent its strongest signal yet that its days of chasing breakneck economic growth were over, promising to wage a “war” on pollution and reduce the pace of investment to a decade-low as it pursues more sustainable expansion.
‘Jewish state’ recognition adds new Israeli-Palestinian trip wire
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – When peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians resumed last July, everyone assumed that the main sticking points would remain, as ever, security, borders, the status of Jerusalem and the plight of refugees.
Turkey’s Erdogan rallies popular support in power struggle
ANKARA (Reuters) – Before cheering crowds, he dons the mantle of tragic hero, comparing his enemies to leeches, reciting a poem that once saw him jailed for sedition and invoking the memory of his political hero, toppled and hanged by the generals.
Romanian opposition MPs challenge new government
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta faced a constitutional challenge from the centrist opposition on Wednesday that could very briefly hinder pursuit of IMF-backed reforms but seemed unlikely to scuttle his newly-forged coalition…
