Bulgarian police makes arrests in suspected arms smuggling ring
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgarian police have arrested two Bulgarians and a Swedish citizen suspected of involvement in trafficking arms, possibly for use in contract killings in Western Europe, the interior ministry said on Thursday.
World Bank president calls corruption ‘Public Enemy No. 1’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The World Bank took a bold stance on fighting corruption on Thursday, with President Jim Yong Kim saying that corruption at both the public and private level is the scourge of the developing world.
International prosecutor asks for postponement of Kenyan president’s trial
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court asked for a delay to the trial of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday after the loss of a string of witnesses severely weakened the prosecution case.
Nigerian lawmakers defect in new blow to Jonathan
ABUJA (Reuters) – Thirty-seven Nigerian lawmakers have defected to the 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.
Suicide bombers kill 36 Shi’ite pilgrims in Iraq: police
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Suicide bombings in Iraq killed at least 36 people on Thursday in attacks targeting Shi’ite pilgrims ahead of a major holy day next week, police said.
Iran, six world powers resume expert talks on nuclear deal
GENEVA/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Iran and six world powers began expert-level talks in Geneva on Thursday to work out how to put into practice a landmark deal obliging Tehran to curb its nuclear program in return for some relief from economic sanctions.
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.
France to use unarmed U.S.-made drones to hunt al Qaeda in Mali
PARIS (Reuters) – France will deploy its first U.S.-made unarmed surveillance drones to West Africa by the end of the year, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday, as it seeks to “eliminate all traces of al Qaeda”.
Central African Republic to bring forward elections to 2014: PM
BANGUI (Reuters) – Central African Republic will bring forward presidential elections to next year, Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye said on Thursday, bowing to pressure from former colonial power France to speed up a transition after a March coup.
Two Muslim converts found guilty of murdering British soldier
LONDON (Reuters) – Two British Muslim converts were found guilty of murder on Thursday for hacking a soldier to death in broad daylight on a London street in a gruesome killing that horrified the nation.
