U.N. envoy optimistic Somali parliament will approve new cabinet

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations special envoy to Somalia is optimistic that the country's parliament will approve the prime minister's new cabinet next week, allowing preparations to begin for a new constitution and presidential elections in 2016.

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Nigeria to keep February 14 presidential election date

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's Council of State has decided to stick with February 14 as the date for its presidential election, Imo state governor Rochas Okorocha said on Thursday.

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U.N. chief names Bulgarian as new Mideast peace coordinator

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Nickolay Mladenov of Bulgaria to replace Robert Serry as his special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, a U.N. spokesman said on Thursday.

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U.S.-led forces target Islamic State with 12 air strikes in Iraq, Syria: U.S. military

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces launched nine air strikes in Iraq and three in Syria against Islamic State militants since Wednesday, the American military said on Thursday.

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Jordan releases leading al Qaeda mentor: security source

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordanian authorities released on Thursday Sheikh Abu Mohammad al-Maqdisi, a leading al–Qaeda spiritual guide, who was arrested last October, a security source told Reuters.

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Islamic State flags appear, then disappear, in Bosnian village

GORNJA MAOCA, Bosnia (Reuters) - Flags and emblems of Islamic State, pictured on Wednesday on houses in a Bosnian village, disappeared on Thursday under threat of action by police wary of the dangers posed by radical Islamists returning from Syria and Iraq.

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U.S. defense chief voices fear of north-south NATO divide

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel expressed concern on Thursday about a possible north-south divide in NATO and urged the alliance to tackle multiple security issues at once rather than focusing on only one.

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