French special forces took part in Niger operation: government

PARIS (Reuters) – French special forces took part in an operation at an army base in Niger on Friday to flush out Islamist militants suspected of involvement in an attack the previous day, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said. At least 21 people were killed and dozens wounded on Thursday in coordinated dawn assaults on a uranium mine run by French company Areva at Arlit and the military base in the city of Agadez in northern Niger. …

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Yemen's main oil pipeline attacked, pumping stopped

SANAA (Reuters) – Attackers blew up Yemen’s main oil export pipeline on Friday, halting the flow of crude, the government and industry sources said. “Subversive elements” in Serwah in central Maarib province had blown up the pipeline, which leads to the Red Sea, at dawn on Friday, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. The Arabian Peninsula state, which relies on crude exports to replenish its reserves and finance up to 70 percent of budget spending, has suffered frequent bombings of its main oil pipeline since an uprising broke out in 2011. …

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Large blast heard in center of Afghan capital

KABUL (Reuters) – A large blast was heard in the center of the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Friday with a Reuters witness hearing heavy shooting directly afterwards. The explosion occurred at about 4 p.m. (11:30 GMT) in the downtown district of Borj-e Sharahah, a Kabul police spokesman said. There was no word on any casualties. (Reporting by Amie Ferris-Rotman and Mirwais Harooni; Editing by Robert Birsel)

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Google reportedly eyes $1 billion-plus Waze buy, but Facebook may be blocking bids

Interest in social mapping and navigation provider Waze is reportedly heating up, with Google and several other “large tech companies” currently holding talks with the Israel-based company. Bloomberg on Friday reported that Google is considering a bid that exceeds Facebook’s earlier offer, which reportedly fell between $800 million and $1 billion. Earlier rumors suggested Facebook and Waze’s negotiations had stalled due to a disagreement over whether or not Waze’s Israeli research and development center would remain open. According to a follow-up from Israel-based newspaper Calcalist, which first broke the story that Facebook was in talks to acquire Waze, Google may face some trouble if it’s serious about a possible deal — Facebook and Waze have reportedly just signed an agreement

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EU risks "too big to cooperate" bank supervision

Former Bank of France and IMF director Jacques de Larosiere reacts to the G20 Pittsburgh summit outcome during an interview with Reuters in ParisBy Martin Santa and Huw Jones BRUSSELS/LONDON (Reuters) – The role of the European Banking Authority must be beefed up beyond current plans to ensure that regulation of Europe's banks does not fragment into two competing systems, one of the architects of the reforms told a public hearing on Friday. Jacques de Larosiere, former head of the Bank of France and IMF, said the European Central Bank's role in a European Banking Union to supervise euro zone lenders risked creating a “duopoly” that would split the bloc's single market next year. …

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