Venezuela decrees day of ‘loyalty and love’ for late Chavez
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has declared an official day of “loyalty and love” for late President Hugo Chavez, seeking to keep the messianic socialist leader in the public eye.
Ethiopia on heightened alert for attacks by Somali militants
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia has put its police and security forces on heightened alert after receiving strong evidence that Somalia’s Islamist al Shabaab group is planning attacks in the country, officials said on Tuesday.
Tunisia president says hopeful despite suspension of government talks
PARIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s president said on Tuesday he was optimistic his country would stay on the path to democracy despite a suspension of talks between ruling Islamists and opposition parties on forming a new caretaker government.
New French centrist pact aims for European breakthrough
PARIS (Reuters) – A new French centrist alliance was launched on Tuesday aimed at taking votes from left and right to build a strong foothold in the European Parliament next year, capitalizing on frustration with President Francois Hollande.
Italy says to limit large cruise ship traffic in Venice
ROME (Reuters) – Italy will immediately begin to limit large cruise ship traffic in the Venice lagoon and the biggest vessels – of more than 96,000 gross tonnes – will be banned from November of next year, the government said on Tuesday.
Putin critic and chess champion Kasparov seeks Latvian citizenship
RIGA (Reuters) – Former world chess champion turned Kremlin critic Garry Kasparov has asked Latvian politicians to grant him citizenship to help him pursue his political activities in Russia.
Colombia ELN rebels demand Chilean timber company leaves country
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s ELN rebels are demanding that a Chilean timber company abandon its operations in the Andean nation, although the leftist group still plans to free one of the firm’s local contractors held captive for 15 months.
Ireland to hold referendum on same sex marriage
DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland will hold a referendum on same sex marriage in 2015, just over two decades after the once stridently Catholic country legalized homosexuality, the government said on Tuesday.
Prosecutors drop advertising probe into Austrian leader
VIENNA (Reuters) – Austrian authorities said on Tuesday they had dropped an investigation into Chancellor Werner Faymann over his role in advertising campaigns by state agencies that he had supervised while infrastructure minister.
Russian police harassed Norwegian journalists reporting on Sochi: rights group
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian police harassed and detained two Norwegian journalists on their way to Sochi, venue of the 2014 winter Olympics, a rights group and their television station said on Tuesday.
