Militant leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar masterminded the two suicide bombs in Niger on Thursday which killed 20 people, a Mauritanian news agency reports. www.bbc.co.uk | 5/24/13 10:12 PM

A French court has decided not to formally investigate IMF chief Christine Lagarde over her role in a controversial payoff while she was finance minister but did name her as a key witness in the continuing probe. The court's action Friday came after prosecutors questioned Lagarde for two days about her 2007 decision that led to the payment of about $500 million to settle a legal battle between the state and a close friend of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Her status as key ... www.voanews.com | 5/24/13 9:59 PM

U.S. President Barack Obama says sexual assaults in the U.S. military undermine trust in the armed forces. The president used a commencement speech at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland Friday to tackle recent reports of widespread sexual violence in the military. "Those who commit sexual assault are not only committing a crime, they threaten the trust and discipline that make our military strong. That's why we have to be determined to stop these crimes, because ... www.voanews.com | 5/24/13 9:17 PM

A former senior advisor to the late Richard Holbrooke, who served as U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, says when it comes to foreign policy, the U.S. is in "retreat."   Vali Nasr, who is now dean of Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), said the Obama administration has concluded that the best way forward for the United States is to do "less in the world."   On VOA's Press Conference USA, he said ... www.voanews.com | 5/24/13 8:32 PM

Britain's security services are facing questions over whether they could have done more to prevent the murder of a soldier hacked to death on a London street. Senior British officials have said the two men detained in connection with Wednesday's murder had been identified earlier by security teams investigating suspected Islamist extremists. Suspects Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale remain under guard in a hospital after police shot and arrested them following the attack. The ... www.voanews.com | 5/24/13 8:24 PM

This recent image from video provided by CAPA and Canal+ television on Monday April, 8, 2013 shows Tunisian Femen activist Amina Tyler .

www.topix.net | 5/24/13 8:05 PM

The Nigerian army says it has destroyed a number of camps used by militant Islamist group, Boko Haram, in the north-east of the country. www.bbc.co.uk | 5/24/13 8:01 PM

The United Nations refugee agency is appealing to nations to keep borders open to refugees fleeing worsening violence in Syria.   With Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq already hosting more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warns the number is expected to grow as the conflict intensifies.   Responding to reports that Syrians attempting to flee may be backed up at the international border crossings, agency officials say they ... www.voanews.com | 5/24/13 7:59 PM

Necker Island, UK Virgin Islands, May 24 (Prensa Latina) Representatives form governments and entrepreneurs from 15 Caribbean nations gathered in this 74-acre island in the north of the UK Virgin Islands, agreed to start the second stage of an initiative called "Caribbean Challenge" to face the environmental threats in the region, said a local press media Friday. To protect 20 percent ... www.trinidadtimes.com | 5/24/13 8:42 PM

Havana, May 24 (Prensa Latina) The legendary Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia returns to Cuba with flamenco concert after 26 years without appearing in this country, today announced the maestro Leo ... www.trinidadtimes.com | 5/24/13 8:42 PM

Havana, May 24 (Prensa Latina) Part of the life and work of Cuban composer and tres player Arsenio Rodriguez (1911-1970) has been put together in a documentary premiered here by the Recordings and Musical Editions Company (EGREM). Conceived on DVD, was designed as part of the 17th International Fair Cubadisco 2013 and includes recordings in the United States, where the author of popular topics ... www.trinidadtimes.com | 5/24/13 8:42 PM

CASTRO VALLEY (CBS SF) – Nearly two decades after a Castro Valley teenager was killed in her home, her family is honoring her memory with a ceremony, candlelight walk and art contest Friday night. Jenny Lin, known for her good grades and musical talents, was murdered at her family's home on May 27, 1994. She was 14. In the 19 years since the unsolved murder, Jenny's family has ... www.trinidadtimes.com | 5/24/13 8:14 PM

Santo Domingo.- Dominican Republic's economy grew barely 0.3% in the first quarter, much slower than forecast, the Central Bank announced Friday. In its preliminary report the monetary authorities noted that in the first quarter of 2012 the economy grew 3.8%, 4.3% in 2011 and 7.5% in 2010. Key sectors with a strong impact on employment have fallen thus far this year, including retail sales ... www.trinidadtimes.com | 5/24/13 7:24 PM

Santo Domingo.- IFC Vice President and Treasurer Jingdong Hua said today that private sector development is key to supporting long-term growth and poverty reduction in the Dominican Republic. Hua is visiting the country for the first time as VP and Treasurer of IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. Hua met with government and regulatory officials to discuss how IFC can support the development ... www.trinidadtimes.com | 5/24/13 7:24 PM

Seven migrants, whose boat from Cuba was intercepted May 18 by the U.S. Coast Guard, were returned to Cuba, the Coast Guard said. Their boat was taking on water near Card Sound Bridge, which connects the Florida Keys to the mainland, when it was rescued. The migrants were removed from the boat and given food, water, shelter and medical attention, The Miami Herald reported. Under U.S. law, ... www.trinidadtimes.com | 5/24/13 6:57 PM

The Tribune Co. has named radio veteran Jimmy de Castro as president and general manager of WGN-AM Radio, beginning June 3. De Castro will be responsible for the station's overall strategy, execution, and day-to-day management and operations, and will report to Larry Wert, Tribune's president of Broadcast Media. De Castro said in a statement he was determined to continue to grow WGNs ... www.trinidadtimes.com | 5/24/13 6:26 PM