AFP, Abuja
Burkina Faso’s interim President Michel Kafando, who was taken hostage during a coup a week ago, said he was back in power and had restored a civilian transitional government.
“I have returned to work,” he said in a brief speech to journalists at the foreign ministry in the capital on Wednesday. “The transition is back and at this very minute is exercising the power of the state.”
Burkina Faso coup leaders agreed to return to their barracks , signing a deal with the army that apparently defused the standoff sparked by last week’s coup.
Khamenei blasts Israel over Al-Aqsa violence
Reuters, Dubai
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced Israel on Wednesday for what he called its “insult” to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque in connection with Israeli actions at one of Islam’s holiest places.
Israeli-Palestinian strife has risen sharply in recent weeks as Arab states and Palestinians have accused Israeli forces of violations at the mosque. “The Zionist regime’s crimes in Palestine and repeated insult of the sacred sanctuary of the al-Aqsa Mosque … are the foremost problem for Muslims,” Khamenei was quoted as saying by his official website.
US, India agree to jointly train
peacekeepers in Africa
Reuters, Washington
The United States and India agreed on Tuesday to train troops in six African countries before they are deployed to U.N. peacekeeping missions, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said.
He spoke after meetings with his Indian counterpart, Shushma Swaraj, on economic and security ties, which have been growing between their two countries given shared concerns about China’s rise in Asia.
Multiculturalism wrong for
US: Bush
AP, Cedar Falls
Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said Tuesday that multiculturalism is bad for the United States, adding that immigrants who close themselves off from American culture deny themselves access to economic rewards.
The former governor of Florida, who speaks fluent Spanish and often touts his success winning Latino votes in a party that badly needs them, addressed the issue in a packed northern Iowa diner as he met people in the crowd.
New Greek cabinet sworn in
Reuters, Athens
Greece’s new cabinet was sworn in today, bringing in few new faces as re-elected Prime Minister Alexis Tspiras sought continuity in pushing through economic reforms under the watchful eye of international lenders.
Tsipras appointed two bailout negotiators to head his economic team, reappointing Euclid Tsakalotos as finance minister and making George Chouliarakis deputy finance minister.
