Leader of Greece’s far-right Golden Dawn held in custody before trial
ATHENS (Reuters) – The leader of Greece’s far-right Golden Dawn party was remanded in custody on Thursday pending trial on criminal charges, the first time an elected party chief has been put behind bars since a military coup nearly five decades ago.
Hundreds dead, missing as migrant boat sinks off Italy
PALERMO, Italy (Reuters) – More than 300 people drowned or were feared dead after a boat packed with African migrants caught fire and sank off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa on Thursday, one of the worst disasters of Europe’s chronic immigrat…
Madagascar crowd burn two Europeans to death over “organ trafficking”
PARIS/ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) – A crowd burnt two Europeans to death on a tourist island in Madagascar and lynched a local man because they suspected them of trafficking human organs after a dead child was found on a beach, police said.
Guinea opposition quits electoral commission, rejecting early vote count
CONAKRY (Reuters) – Guinea’s opposition parties pulled their delegates out of the national electoral commission on Thursday after rejecting some provisional results from Sunday’s parliamentary election, meant to cap a transition to democracy.
Syria rebels try to end infighting near Turkish border
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Six powerful Syrian rebel groups on Thursday demanded al Qaeda-linked militants and rival insurgents end clashes that have escalated infighting in a strategic northern border area.
Tunisian government and opposition to start talks Saturday: mediator
TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s ruling Islamists and their secular opponents will start three weeks of negotiations on Saturday to allow the government to step down and make way for a caretaker cabinet until elections, a labor union mediating the talks sai…
New Russian pension reform fuels nationalization fears
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s government approved a pension system overhaul on Thursday that will give it tighter control over savings accumulated by private funds while reducing the burden of an ageing population on the state’s budget.
Plane crash near Nigeria’s Lagos airport kills 16
LAGOS (Reuters) – Sixteen people were killed when a small passenger plane crashed shortly after takeoff outside Lagos airport’s domestic terminal on Thursday, Nigerian authorities said.
French military prepares 2014 cuts, far-right seeks to benefit
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s military will cut almost 8,000 jobs next year, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday, detailing government belt-tightening plans that the far-right hopes will deliver it votes at municipal elections in 2014.
Sudan charges 35 with vandalism after anti-government riots
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Thirty-five people appeared in court on Thursday accused of vandalism during a week of deadly anti-government riots in Sudan, a lawyer said, the first legal proceedings reported in the capital linked to the violence.
