As elections approach, a move to reaffirm a shaky Afghan alliance
KABUL (Reuters) – On a warm, late August evening in Kabul, a long line of black, armoured four-wheel-drives rolled into a palatial compound owned by Abdul Rashid Dostum, an infamous Afghan warlord turned political powerbroker.
Putin foe manages strong showing in Moscow vote
MOSCOW (Reuters) – An ally of President Vladimir Putin was heading for victory in a Moscow mayoral election on Sunday but opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s unexpectedly strong showing could alarm the Kremlin and fuel Russia’s flagging protest movement…
Italian and Belgian freed after being kidnapped in Syria
ROME (Reuters) – Italian journalist Domenico Quirico and Belgian teacher and writer Pierre Piccinin da Prata have been freed after being kidnapped in Syria in early April, officials said on Sunday.
Moscow mayoral candidate says he is certain of victory
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Kremlin ally Sergei Sobyanin told supporters he is certain he will end up the winner of the mayoral election that was held in the Russian capital on Sunday, the Interfax news agency reported.
Qatar raps Israel as Kerry seeks Arab support for talks
PARIS (Reuters) – Qatar faulted Israel for building Jewish settlements on Sunday after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry briefed Arab diplomats in an effort to garner support for nascent Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.
Sinai Islamists claim responsibility for attack on Egypt minister
CAIRO (Reuters) – The Sinai-based Islamist militant group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis claimed responsibility on Sunday for an attempt last week to kill the Egyptian interior minister in Cairo, and promised more attacks in revenge for a crackdown on Egypt’s Is…
Syria’s Assad denies chemical weapons use; U.S. presses case for strike
WASHINGTON/LONDON (Reuters) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denied that he was behind a chemical weapons attack on the Syrian people, as the White House on Sunday pressed ahead with the uphill effort of persuading Congress to approve a military stri…
Kerry, asked about Assad denial, says evidence speaks for itself
LONDON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry dismissed any claim by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s that there is no evidence he used chemical weapons against his own people, saying on Sunday “the evidence speaks for itself.”
South Sudanese airline starts flying to Khartoum
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – A commercial airline in South Sudan on Sunday began to operate flights to long-time foe Sudan, state media said, in a new sign of a thaw between the African neighbors.
Mali’s new president names first post-rebellion cabinet
BAMAKO (Reuters) – Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on Sunday revealed his new cabinet, tasked with reviving the West African nation following a turbulent 18 months that saw a coup and a rebellion plunge the gold exporter into crisis.
