In Qatar desert, Syrian opposition mourns fallen commander
UMM AL-AMAD, Qatar (Reuters) – On a patch of desert far from Syria, dozens of men gathered under a white tent to commemorate Abdelqader Saleh, a renowned Syrian rebel commander who died this week from wounds after an air strike in Aleppo.
Saudi Arabia says six shells fall near border post close to Iraq, Kuwait
RIYADH (Reuters) – Six mortar shells landed near a remote Saudi border post close to neighboring fellow oil producers Iraq and Kuwait on Wednesday, but caused no damage, the kingdom said on Thursday.
China Supreme Court rules out confession through torture
BEIJING (Reuters) – Using torture to extract confessions must be eliminated, China’s Supreme People’s Court said on Thursday, singling out a widespread practice that has long attracted international condemnation.
Nepal Maoists trail in election, demand vote count suspension
KATHMANDU (Reuters) – – Nepal’s powerful Maoists, trailing in this week’s election, called for an end to vote counting on Thursday, risking further political instability in the small Himalayan nation.
U.S. pledges $40 million for Central Africa peacekeepers as violence escalates
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States expressed concern on Wednesday about growing violence and lawlessness in Central African Republic and pledged $40 million toward an African Union-led peacekeeping force to bolster security throughout the country…
Mexican Senate committees pass financial sector reform
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – A government-backed banking overhaul aimed at boosting Mexico’s private sector lending won the approval of Senate committees on Wednesday, bringing the financial reform one step closer to final passage.
Colombia’s Santos to stand for re-election in 2014
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Wednesday he will seek a second term in next May’s election, a widely expected decision that could offer him another four years to pursue a peace process he initiated with Marxist FARC r…
Venezuela leader says to decree two economic laws on Thursday
CARACAS (Reuters) – President Nicolas Maduro said he would use newly granted powers to decree two laws on Thursday to cap retailers’ profits and reorganize the distribution of foreign currency in Venezuela’s troubled economy.
French police arrest suspect in Paris shootings
PARIS (Reuters) – French police have arrested a man suspected of shooting and seriously wounding an employee of the left-wing Paris newspaper Liberation and firing a shotgun at the headquarters of a major bank, Interior Minister Manuel Valls said on Th…
Chinese former Party official gets life sentence for bribery
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – A former Party official in Guangdong province was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for taking bribes and holding property valued far in excess of his legitimate earnings, official media reported.
