EU gives go-ahead for Serbia entry talks by January
LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) – Serbia could start negotiations on joining the European Union by January next year, EU ministers agreed on Tuesday, rewarding Belgrade for improving relations with its ex-province Kosovo.
Libya assembly votes in first Berber as new chief
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libya’s national assembly elected a minority Berber as its new president on Tuesday after his predecessor quit following passage of legislation curbing who can hold public office – a move to ban ex-associates of late dictator Muamma…
Mugabe heads to Singapore for health check before vote
(Reuters) – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe left for a medical check-up in Singapore on Tuesday, his spokesman said, a month before an election in which the 89-year-old is looking to extend his 33 years in power.
Egyptian city on edge before anti-Mursi protests
EL-MAHALLA EL-KUBRA, Egypt (Reuters) – Fuel is in short supply in El-Mahalla El-Kubra. So is patience.
U.N. peacekeeping operations in Mali to begin on July 1
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – U.N. peacekeepers will start operations in Mali on July 1 after the U.N. Security Council gave the green light on Tuesday for the mission, which will be the world body’s third largest when fully deployed by the end of this ye…
India flood rescue helicopter crash kills eight – government
GAUCHAR, India (Reuters) – A rescue helicopter delivering wood for the mass cremations of the victims of flooding in northern India crashed on Tuesday, killing the eight people on board, the government said.
Armed group attacks Libyan oil guards’ headquarters
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – An armed group guarding a major Libyan oil field attacked the headquarters of the Petroleum Facilities Guard in Tripoli on Tuesday, and five people were wounded in the violence, the oil force said.
Snowden who? Ecuadoreans blase amid diplomatic tussle over asylum
QUITO (Reuters) – Even as Ecuador contemplates offering asylum to former U.S. security contractor Edward Snowden, there are few signs on the streets that the small South American nation is at the center of a global dispute between superpowers.
Italian minister defends F-35 jet purchase on eve of tense vote
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s cash-strapped government plans to go ahead with purchasing 90 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets, Defense Minister Mario Mauro said on Tuesday, ahead of a vote that risks splitting the ruling coalition.
France shuts down two fringe far-right groups
PARIS (Reuters) – The French government has ordered the closure of two far-right fringe groups following the killing of a leftist student during a brawl in Paris this month, the groups said on Tuesday.
