Jesse Jackson arrives in Cuba on mission of reconciliation
HAVANA (Reuters) – U.S. civil rights activist Jesse Jackson arrived in Cuba on Friday where he said he hoped to facilitate improved relations with the United States and see imprisoned U.S. contractor Alan Gross.
U.N. Security Council set to vote on Syria chemical arms resolution
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council is set to adopt a resolution on Friday on eradicating Syria’s chemical arsenal after Russia and the United States overcame a bitter deadlock to avert U.S. military action against Syrian President Bas…
Obama, Iran’s Rouhani hold historic phone call
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – President Barack Obama and new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke by telephone on Friday, the highest-level contact between the two countries in three decades and a sign that both sides are serious about reaching a p…
Serbia bans gay pride march again; EU criticizes decision
BELGRADE (Reuters) – Serbia’s government banned a weekend gay pride march for the third consecutive year on Friday, citing the threat of violence from right-wing hooligans, in a move that sparked protests by gay activists and criticism from the Europea…
Eight held over Nairobi mall attack, al Shabaab issues new threat
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenyan authorities are holding eight people in connection with an attack by Islamist militants on a Nairobi shopping mall and have released three others after the assault that killed 67 civilians and soldiers, the interior minister …
Sudanese police fire teargas as crowd demands Bashir resign
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Police fired teargas on Friday to disperse thousands of Sudanese demanding that President Omar Hassan al-Bashir step down, a day after clashes in which rights groups accused security forces of shooting dead at least 50 people.
Italian PM to call confidence vote as government nears collapse
ROME (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta will call a confidence vote in parliament after a showdown with center-right partners in his fragile coalition scuppered a vital package of budget measures on Friday and took his government to the br…
Syria rebels struggle to rally practical backing on U.N. stage
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – International opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reaffirmed support for the country’s opposition coalition at the U.N. General Assembly this week, but with rebel forces splitting and delivery of weapons slow, the c…
Gambian president says gays a threat to human existence
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Gambia’s president warned the United Nations General Assembly on Friday that gays were a threat to human existence, along with excessive greed and obsession with world domination, and criticized other countries for regarding …
Germany’s left wants grassroots blessing before joining Merkel
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s opposition Social Democrats decided on Friday to put any decision to join a ‘grand coalition’ with Angela Merkel to a vote of its 472,000 grassroots members, an unwieldy process that could complicate the creation of a new g…
