EU leaders face moment of reflection over Ukraine debacle
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European leaders face a session of soul-searching and strategy planning over Ukraine at their year-end summit on Friday when they will discuss why Kiev rejected an EU free trade deal and took a bailout from Russia instead.
South Africa defends Zuma’s security upgrade, including chicken coop
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s government dismissed criticisms on Thursday that a $21 million state-funded security upgrade of President Jacob Zuma’s private home was extravagant, saying features such as a chicken coop and cattle pen were more…
Egypt court rulings pave way for Shafik return
CAIRO (Reuters) – Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister, Ahmed Shafik, will soon be free to return from self-imposed exile and perhaps to make a political comeback after Egyptian courts on Thursday acquitted him in a corruption case and shelved another.
Man sets himself on fire in St. Peter’s Square, motive unknown
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – A 52-year-old Italian man set himself on fire in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Thursday and suffered serious burns, officials said.
Secret detention part of Syria ‘campaign of terror:’ U.N.
GENEVA (Reuters) – Syrian activists and other citizens have vanished into secret detention as part of a “widespread campaign of terror against the civilian population” by the Damascus government, U.N. investigators said on Thursday.
Ukraine’s Yanukovich says Russia bailout not against Europe integration
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich on Thursday said he had had to accept a $15 billion aid package from Russia because of high gas prices and debt repayments to the IMF, but he said the package did not contradict a policy of integra…
Policewoman, pregnant teacher hanged in southern Afghanistan
KABUL (Reuters) – An Afghan policewoman and a pregnant teacher were hanged and their bodies dumped within a few kilometers of a foreign military base recently handed over to Afghan control, officials said on Thursday.
Nigerian lawmakers defect to opposition coalition
ABUJA (Reuters) – Thirty seven Nigerian lawmakers have defected to Nigeria’s main opposition coalition, giving it a slim majority in the lower house of parliament, in a further blow to President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 re-election bid.
Istanbul police chief removed over graft inquiry: local media
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Istanbul’s police chief has been removed from his post, local media reported on Thursday, two days after the sons of cabinet ministers and prominent businessmen close to Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan were detained in a corr…
Secret detention part of Syria ‘campaign of terror:’ U.N.
GENEVA (Reuters) – Syrian activists and other citizens have vanished into secret detention as part of a “widespread campaign of terror against the civilian population” by the Damascus government, U.N. investigators said on Thursday.
