Nigeria to pull many peacekeepers from Mali, Darfur
ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigeria plans to withdraw much of its 1,200-strong contingent from international peacekeeping missions in Mali and Sudan’s Darfur region saying the troops are needed to beef up security at home, sources familiar with the matter said o…
Cameroon must investigate gay rights activist killing: groups
YAOUNDE (Reuters) – Campaign groups urged Cameroon to carry out a thorough investigation into the brutal killing of a gay rights activist, the latest attack on people fighting to legalize homosexuality in the central African country.
Turkey’s Erdogan slams world’s ‘double standards’ on Egypt
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan accused Western and Arab nations of “double standards” for failing to condemn the overthrow of former Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi, whose Muslim Brotherhood like Erdogan has Islamist roots.
Briton kidnapped in Nigeria’s Lagos this week
ABUJA (Reuters) – A British national was kidnapped in Nigeria this week shortly after arriving at Lagos airport, the British High Commission said on Friday.
Suicide bomber kills 20 in Iraqi Sunni mosque
BAQUBA, Iraq (Reuters) – A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a Sunni mosque in central Iraq, killing at least 20 people in the middle of a sermon on Friday.
Syria cracks down on Assad’s non-violent opponents
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian government forces have detained a dissident left-wing painter in a new wave of arrests of non-violent critics of President Bashar al-Assad, opposition groups said on Friday.
Britain revokes five export licenses to Egypt after unrest
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain withdrew five export licenses to Egypt on Friday, saying it wanted to prevent British goods being used in unrest, which has led to civilian deaths there.
Pope brings in lay experts to help reform Vatican
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis has brought in international experts to help him overhaul the Holy See and move on from a series of scandals under his predecessor Benedict XVI.
Australia slams door on refugees with tough new measures
CANBERRA (Reuters) – Australia announced tough new measures to stem a dramatic increase in refugee boats from Indonesia on Friday, with a deal to send all boat arrivals to Papua New Guinea (PNG) for assessment and eventual settlement.
Italy government survives vote on Kazakh case
ROME (Reuters) – Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano survived a no-confidence vote on Friday, averting a political crisis that could have brought down the fragile coalition government of Prime Minister Enrico Letta.
