Tajik leader Rakhmon set to extend long rule
DUSHANBE (Reuters) – Tajikistan’s President Imomali Rakhmon is set to win a new seven-year term on Wednesday in a country facing security threats from neighboring Afghanistan and located on a major heroin trafficking route from Kabul to Russia and Euro…
Bill would allow Brazil to decree local Internet data storage
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil is pushing ahead with legislation that would force global Internet companies such as Google and Facebook to keep data on Brazilian users inside the country, despite opposition from the companies and in Congress.
Iran invites U.N. nuclear chief, hopes for deal
LONDON/VIENNA (Reuters) – The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog is considering an invitation to visit Tehran for scheduled talks, a possible sign of progress in a long-stalled investigation into suspected nuclear arms research by Iran.
Murdoch reporters accessed missing girl’s phone messages, court hears
LONDON (Reuters) – Journalists at Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World told police hunting for a missing schoolgirl in 2002 they had accessed her phone’s voicemail messages, a London court heard on Tuesday, as prosecutors focused in on the case at the he…
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.
