U.S. begins air lifting Burundian troops to Central African Republic
BUJUMBURA (Reuters) – The United States began air lifting Burundian troops to Central African Republic on Thursday, part of efforts to help African and French forces prevent a descent into civil war, Burundi’s army said.
Bangladesh court clears the way for Islamist’s execution
DHAKA (Reuters) – Bangladesh’s Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for the execution of an Islamist opposition leader, sparking violent protests by his supporters less than a month before elections are due to be held.
Russia is a force for moral good but no superpower: Putin
MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin, in a thinly veiled criticism of the United States, portrayed Russia on Thursday as a force for peace and morality that had no desire to be a global superpower.
Nigeria largely ignores sectarian violence: Human Rights Watch
ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigerian authorities have largely ignored sectarian clashes in the nation’s religiously mixed central region that have killed 3,000 people since 2010, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.
Slovak premier seeks release of paragliders in Tehran
PRAGUE (Reuters) – Slovak Prime Minster Robert Fico has flown to Iran to negotiate the release of two Slovak paragliders, the government in Bratislava said on Thursday.
Berlusconi says arresting him would incite revolution in Italy
PARIS (Reuters) – Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who lost parliamentary immunity when he was expelled from the Senate last month, said on Thursday revolution would break out if he were arrested and thrown in prison.
Blast near U.S. embassy in Kabul was accident, Afghan official says
KABUL (Reuters) – An accidental detonation of explosives stored in an Afghan facility beside the U.S. embassy in Kabul sparked a brief panic early on Thursday, triggering concerns of an attack, but no immediate reports of casualties.
Finance watchdog approves Vatican reforms, urges bank oversight
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Vatican has made significant progress in financial reforms but still risks being used for money laundering unless it strengthens controls, a European watchdog said on Thursday.
Mexico’s landmark energy bill nears final approval
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s Congress was on Thursday poised to complete approval of the biggest overhaul of its oil industry since nationalization 75 years ago, opening the door to investment by oil majors in a bid to reverse falling output.
Honeymoon over for gay couples after Australia overturns same-sex marriage law
SYDNEY (Reuters) – The honeymoon was short-lived for Australia’s gay couples who married in the past five days after the High Court overturned new same-sex marriage laws on Thursday, invalidating wedding ceremonies performed since Saturday.
