Zimbabwe PM warns of vote-rigging, questions AU head’s integrity
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai accused the rival party of President Robert Mugabe of planning to cheat in next week’s election, and questioned the fitness of the African Union’s top official to monitor it fairly.
Egypt’s generals back in favor after first flawed transition
CAIRO (Reuters) – When Egypt’s army was last in charge, little more than a year ago, 27-year-old artist Mohamed Haroun painted a picture of the senior general surrounded by money looted from the state.
Secular politician Brahmi killed with same gun as Belaid
TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s interior minister said on Friday that secular opposition politician Mohamed Brahmi had been killed with the same gun that was used to kill his party leader Chokri Belaid six months ago, suggesting the involvement of the same…
U.N. decries growing ‘anti-Syrian’ hostility in Egypt
GENEVA (Reuters) – Egyptian authorities have arbitrarily arrested and detained Syrian refugees as sentiment against them grows, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday.
Syrian rebels kill dozens in offensives in north and south
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian rebels say they have overrun army positions in the north and south of the country this week, including an offensive in which a rights monitoring group said 51 soldiers were executed.
Russian punk band convict defiant after losing parole battle
SARANSK, Russia (Reuters) – A jailed member of Russian female punk group Pussy Riot lost a court battle to be released but remained unrepentant over last year’s protest against President Vladimir Putin in a Moscow cathedral.
Czech politicians escape graft charges thanks to immunity
PRAGUE (Reuters) – The senior Czech prosecutor withdrew bribery charges against three former members of parliament on Friday on the grounds they had immunity, weakening a wider case against corruption that led to the fall of Prime Minister Petr Necas.
Japan’s PM calls for high-level talks with China
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called on Friday for a leaders’ summit or a foreign ministers’ meeting between his country and China as soon as possible, drawing a cool reaction from Beijing which accused Japan of lacking since…
Special Report: How the Muslim Brotherhood lost Egypt
CAIRO (Reuters) – When Egyptians poured onto the streets in their millions to demand the fall of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, few thought they would return two years later demonstrating for the overthrow of the man they elected to replace him.
Italy mafia gang made millions from car crash insurance scam
ROME (Reuters) – A mafia clan in southern Italy staged hundreds of fake car crashes every year to get millions of euros in insurance payouts to buy drugs and weapons, police said on Friday.
