Colombia’s ELN rebels pledge to free Canadian captive soon
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombian rebel group the National Liberation Army said on Monday it would soon free a Canadian citizen it seized six months ago after his employer, gold miner Braeval, decided it would no longer mine in the area where he was kidnapp…
Obama welcomes Middle East talks, says hard choices remain
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama welcomed Israeli-Palestinian talks starting in Washington later on Monday but cautioned that a tough path lies ahead.
Zimbabwe campaign ends with PM pushing Mugabe to retirement
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai vowed to pack entrenched President Robert Mugabe off into retirement at a thunderous final campaign rally on Monday, capping a high-spirited election race that has gone down to the wire.
Uganda in talks with Chinese firm to bail out indebted MPs
KAMPALA (Reuters) – The Ugandan parliament is in talks with a Chinese company on buying out the debts of legislators facing high repayment fees on loans taken against their salaries, a member of parliament said on Monday.
Aide to former U.S. President Carter denies he plans North Korea visit
WASHINGTON/SEOUL (Reuters) – A representative for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter denied reports on Monday that he was planning to visit North Korea soon to try to win the release of an American citizen being held in the reclusive nation.
In Zimbabwean diaspora, only some trek home to vote
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – If Zimbabwe’s election this week delivers a win for the party he supports, Gilbert Zondo could be back home by the end of the year, reviving the teaching career he abandoned five years ago to live in precarious exile in South A…
Mali counts votes, cheered by high turnout in presidential race
BAMAKO (Reuters) – Mali cheered the robust turnout and lack of violence in its high-stakes election on Monday as proof Malians were eager to turn the page on more than a year of turmoil, war and an army coup.
Islamist party office attacked as Libya violence surges
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Assailants attacked an Islamist party office in Tripoli and a soldier was killed in fighting in Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi, officials said, in a wave of unrest since the killing of a political activist last week.
Italian government’s fate hangs on Berlusconi court ruling
ROME (Reuters) – The fate of Italy’s fragile government hangs on a ruling by the supreme court, which meets on Tuesday to decide whether to uphold a tax fraud conviction against former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
For Palestinians, Israelis new peace talks offer little hope
JERUSALEM/GAZA (Reuters) – When Israeli and Palestinian peace negotiators break bread at a Muslim feast in Washington on Monday, it will be a diplomatic breakthrough of sorts after almost three years of deadlock.
