Four people killed in sectarian violence in north Yemen
SANAA (Reuters) – At least four people were killed in Yemen on Wednesday when a rocket hit a mosque in the Salafi-controlled northern town of Damaj, a spokesman for the puritanical Sunni Muslim group said, blaming Shi’ite Houthi rebels for the attack.
Insight: Is Israel pulling down the shutters for business?
TEL AVIV (Reuters) – High-tech entrepreneur Eyal Waldman decided he had had enough of Israeli investors when they told him to choose between his titles of chairman and chief executive at the company he co-founded, Mellanox Technologies.
Merkel, SPD agree in coalition talks to push for transaction tax
BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD) agreed in a second round of coalition talks on Wednesday to push for a financial transactions tax in Europe if they manage to form a new government.
China says five detained in connection with Tiananmen attack
BEIJING/TURPAN, China (Reuters) – China said on Wednesday it had caught five suspected Islamist militants after a vehicle burst into flames on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in what police called a terrorist attack.
France denies paying ransom as Sahel hostages return
NIAMEY/PARIS (Reuters) – Four Frenchmen held hostage in the Sahara desert by al Qaeda-linked gunmen for three years flew home and were reunited with their families on Wednesday, with Paris dismissing media reports it had paid a ransom for their release…
Italy Senate to hold open vote on expelling Berlusconi
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s Senate will hold an open vote next month on whether to expel Silvio Berlusconi from parliament, after an upper house committee narrowly rejected his bid to make the ballot secret.
Kenya election officials charged over faulty vote count equipment
NAIROBI (Reuters) – The chief executive of Kenya’s electoral commission was charged on Wednesday over a $15 million tender for equipment that was meant to prevent vote fraud during March’s presidential election but broke down during the count.
Congo’s army says closing in on last rebel positions
RUTSHURU, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) – Congo’s U.N.-backed army closed in on some of the last pockets of territory held by M23 rebels on Wednesday, a local commander and a United Nations official said.
Israel frees Palestinian prisoners, pushes settlement plan
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) – Israel freed 26 Palestinian prisoners on Wednesday as part of U.S.-brokered peace efforts, but said it was pressing on with plans to build more homes for Jewish settlers, in an apparent move to appease hardliners.
Assad tells U.N. envoy peace talks can succeed only if aid to rebels stops
BEIRUT (Reuters) – President Bashar al-Assad told U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on Wednesday that talks to end Syria’s civil war would only succeed if foreign powers ended support for rebels fighting to overthrow him.
