Jesse Jackson accepts role in Colombia hostage release
BOGOTA (Reuters) – U.S. civil rights activist Jesse Jackson accepted a request on Saturday by Colombia’s FARC rebels to oversee the release of a former U.S. Marine they kidnapped in June while he trekked through a known guerrilla zone despite warnings …
Iraq Kurd opposition party consolidates position in regional vote
ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraqi Kurdistan’s main opposition party has come in second in the autonomous region’s parliamentary election, according to preliminary results on Saturday that left the shape of the government still unclear a week after the vote…
Italian government breaks up after Berlusconi pulls out ministers
ROME (Reuters) – Italian center-right leader Silvio Berlusconi pulled his ministers out of the cabinet on Saturday, effectively bringing down the government of Prime Minister Enrico Letta and leaving the euro-zone’s third-largest economy in chaos.
Nigerian Islamists kill 27 in northeast attacks: official
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) – Gunmen from Islamist group Boko Haram killed 27 villagers in two attacks in Nigeria’s restive northeast this week, a government official said, as violence continued to flare in the face of an army crackdown on the militan…
Egypt’s foreign minister says transitional government phase to end by spring
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy said on Saturday the transitional phase of government in Egypt should end “by next spring,” replacing leaders appointed after the army ousted elected president Mohamed Mursi in July.
Mexico floods will not affect proposed 2013, 2014 budget deficits -government
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s proposed budget deficit goals for this year and 2014 will not be affected by some of the worst storm damage in decades, the Finance Ministry said on Saturday.
Four killed in suicide bomb attack in Timbuktu: Mali army
TIMBUKTU (Reuters) – At least four people were killed and several wounded in a suicide car-bomb attack in Timbuktu on Saturday, the first since Mali’s presidential election aimed at ending months of chaos following a Tuareg uprising that led to a milit…
Kenya says ‘at war’ with al Shabaab, faces security questions
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenya is “at war” with Islamist militants who attacked a Nairobi shopping mall, the government said on Saturday as it faced questions about whether it had received advance intelligence warnings of the deadly strike.
On eve of meeting, India raps Pakistan on cross-border attacks
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the United Nations on Saturday that neighboring Pakistan is the “epicenter of terrorism in our region,” setting the stage for a tense meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Shar…
Berlusconi’s ministers resign from Italy government: deputy PM
ROME (Reuters) – All ministers from former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right party resigned from the coalition government on Saturday, said a spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister Angelino Alfano.
