World

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – British Foreign Minister William Hague sought yesterday to allay his Ecuadorean counterpart’s concerns about the fate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, saying Britain’s extradition law has “extensive human rights safeguards.”

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The presidents of Mexico, Colombia and Guatemala all called for a vigorous global debate of anti-narcotics laws at the United Nations yesterday, raising new questions about the wisdom of the four-decade-old, US-led “war on drugs.”

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libya’s ruling congress yesterday said it threatened to dismiss the new prime minister if he fails to name his new Cabinet by Oct 8.

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libya’s ruling congress yesterday said it threatened to dismiss the new prime minister if he fails to name his new Cabinet by Oct 8.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said Wednesday he is “cautiously optimistic” that his government can reach a peace deal with Marxist rebels.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said yesterday the death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was as tragic as that of US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, as he delivered a scathing critique of US, UN and NATO actions.

(Reuters) – Andy Williams, who charmed audiences with his mellow delivery of songs like “Moon River” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” in the 1950s and 60s, has died at his home in Branson, Missouri, his family said yesterday.

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (Reuters) – A decorated US Army general is facing charges of forcible sodomy and engaging in inappropriate relationships stemming from allegations that got him sent home from Afghanistan this year, US officials said yesterday.

NEW YORK  (Reuters) – Healthcare for athletes with mental disabilities, organic know-how for Indian farmers and solar technology for isolated communities were among the pledges made at former US President Bill Clinton’s philanthropic summit, which ended yesterday.

BEIJING/TOKYO (Reuters) – China claimed islands at the core of a row with Japan as its “sacred territory” in talks between the two countries’ foreign ministers, Xinhua news agency said today, as neither side showed any sign of backing down in a long-festering feud.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck off the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, yesterday and caused panic, but local officials said there were no reports of damage or injuries.

– UN weather body GENEVA (Reuters) – An El Nino event, usually associated with significant changes in rainfall, is likely to develop this month and next in the Pacific, affecting global climate patterns, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said yesterday.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Pop star Madonna said yesterday she was being deliberately “ironic on stage” when she erroneously referred to President Barack Obama during her concert in the nation’s capital as a “black Muslim.”

TOKYO (Reuters) – About 40 Taiwan fishing boats and eight Taiwan Coast Guard vessels entered waters that Japan considers its territory today, the Japanese Coast Guard said, adding an unpredictable twist to a bitter row between Tokyo and Beijing.

ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigeria’s military said yesterday it killed 35 members of the Islamist sect Boko Haram and arrested several during an overnight gunbattle in Damaturu, capital of northeastern Yobe state.

KUWAIT (Reuters) – Thousands of Kuwaitis held a protest rally late yesterday ahead of a court decision on an electoral law they fear could weaken the chances of opposition candidates in the next parliamentary vote in the major oil-producing state.

LIMA (Reuters) – The Inter-American Court of Human Rights told Peru yesterday to annul a ruling by its Supreme Court that could have paved the way for an early release of jailed former President Alberto Fujimori.

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United Nations appointed Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan a goodwill ambassador yesterday, with a mission to help stop new HIV infections in children and promote increased access to anti-retroviral treatment.

BEIJING (Reuters) – North Korea plans to allow farmers to keep more of their produce in an attempt to boost agricultural output, a source with close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing said, in a move that could boost supplies, help cap rising food prices and ease malnutrition.

DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran plans to switch its citizens onto a domestic Internet network in what officials say is a bid to improve cyber security but which many Iranians fear is the latest way to control their access to the web.