Afghan women’s rights at risk in peace process: U.N. watchdog
GENEVA (Reuters) – Women’s rights in Afghanistan risk being further undermined in the fragile country’s peace process due to entrenched patriarchal attitudes, a United Nations watchdog warned on Monday.
Party in Tunisia’s ruling coalition calls to dissolve government
TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s Ettakatol party, part of the ruling coalition led by the Islamist Ennahda party, called on Monday for the dissolution of the government to stave off a growing political crisis.
Indian minister, Ratan Tata, may give evidence in Finmeccanica trial
BUSTO ARSIZIO, Italy (Reuters) – Indian defense minister A.K. Antony, together with a former UK defense minister and ex-chairman of Tata Group, have been lined up as witnesses in a trial of former bosses of Italy’s Finmeccanica over corruption in a hel…
Syria says army retakes Homs district from rebels
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian troops drove insurgents from central Homs on Monday, tightening their siege on remaining rebel bastions in the city, which links Damascus to the Mediterranean heartland of President Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite sect.
Egypt to push ahead with smart cards for gasoline
CAIRO (Reuters) – The new Egyptian government will press ahead with a smart card program for distributing fuel products that its predecessor had started before it was ousted by the military, the Finance Ministry said on Monday.
Italian bus crash kills 39; second European transport disaster in five days
MONTEFORTE IRPINO, Italy (Reuters) – Thirty-nine people were killed and around 10 injured when a bus plunged off a viaduct in southern Italy in what Prime Minister Enrico Letta described on Monday as a huge tragedy.
China military puts best foot forward, plays down tensions
LINTONG, China (Reuters) – With handshakes and smiles, China’s military put its best foot forward on Monday as it opened a secretive base to a rare visit by journalists, in an effort to allay Asia’s growing fears about the country’s strategic intention…
Kurds could help shift course of war in Syria
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – The head of Turkey’s main Kurdish party has welcomed contacts between the Ankara government and Syria’s Kurds, saying it could step up pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and help change the course of the civil war,
Iran’s Rouhani to pack cabinet with old hands
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani will pick a cabinet of experienced insiders and will appoint the head of a powerful charity-cum-business foundation as his chief nuclear negotiator, Iranian news agencies said on Monday.
Pope says Vatican bank must be ‘honest and transparent’
ROME (Reuters) – Pope Francis said the troubled Vatican bank must become “honest and transparent” and that he will listen to the advice of a commission he has set up on whether it can be reformed or needs to be shut down altogether.
