Mali’s rush to post-war election raises fears of further strife
DAKAR/GAO, Mali (Reuters) – Mali’s presidential hopefuls kicked off campaigning this week for a July 28 election intended to draw a line under a coup and an Islamist uprising, despite concerns that a rushed poll may sow the seeds of future strife.
Portugal junior coalition head says crisis can be overcome
LISBON (Reuters) – The head of Portugal’s junior coalition party said on Friday the government wants to overcome the current political crisis in order to conclude the country’s bailout plan in June 2014 and urged negotiations with all political parties…
Venice flood barrier executives arrested in massive fraud swoop
ROME (Reuters) – Police conducted dawn raids on Friday on companies across Italy linked to the construction of Venice’s flood barrier, arresting seven people suspected of rigging lucrative contracts for the multi-billion euro project.
Egypt’s PM picks leftist politician as deputy
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s interim authorities have nominated lawyer Ziad Bahaa El-Din, who is a member of the leftist Egyptian Social Democratic Party, as deputy prime minister, Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi said on Friday.
In rural Syria, a rare peace threatened by sectarian war
HOMS COUNTRYSIDE, Syria (Reuters) – For months, the western rural region of Homs was an unusual model of coexistence in Syria’s brutal two-year-old civil war. Now, it risks becoming a dark episode in the country’s deepening sectarian conflict.
New front opens in Syria as rebels say al Qaeda attack means war
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian rebels said on Friday the assassination of one of their top commanders by al Qaeda-linked militants was tantamount to a declaration of war, opening a new front for the Western-backed fighters struggling against President Basha…
Vatican freezes funds of cleric accused over cash transfers
ROME (Reuters) – The Vatican has frozen funds belonging to the senior cleric at the center of a suspected money laundering operation as part of an investigation into the case and could extend the inquiry to other individuals, the city state said on Fri…
Cambodian opposition leader Rainsy pardoned ahead of election
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) – Cambodia’s king has pardoned Sam Rainsy, a senior figure in the opposition to long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen, and he will now be free to return from self-imposed exile in France and campaign in a general election at the end …
UK refuses to hold public inquiry into Litvinenko poisoning
LONDON (Reuters) – A coroner said on Friday that the British government had turned down his request to hold a public inquiry into the murder of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006.
Germany urges all parties in Egypt to refrain from violence
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s Foreign Ministry on Friday urged all political parties in Egypt to refrain from violence or threats of violence, and called on Egyptian authorities to allow an international organisation access to ousted Islamist president …
