Prominent Kuwaiti opposition leader Mussallam al-Barrak, a former lawmaker, has been jailed for five years for insulting Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, the BBC reported April 15.

Cyprus will ease its citizenship rules for foreign investors who lost 3 million euros (about $4 million) as a result of Cyprus' recent bailout deal, meaning some Russians could now get EU passports, Famagusta Gazette reported April 15, citing Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades.

Venezuela's opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, alleged April 14 that there is a plan to try and change the results of his country's presidential election, Reuters reported.

A full restoration Turkey-Israel ties, including the return of a Turkish ambassador to Israel, will not occur until the blockade on the Gaza Strip is lifted, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Xinhua reported April 14, citing Today's Zaman.

North Korea dismissed South Korea's offer of talks on the future of the Kaesong joint industrial zone as an empty political gesture, saying Seoul's joint military drills with the United States and its calls for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear ambitions prevent meaningful dialogue, AFP reported April 14.

The Syrian Islamic Liberation Front, an umbrella group of Syrian rebel factions, released a statement April 11 criticizing a decision by rebel group Jabhat al-Nusra's leader to pledge allegiance to al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, AFP reported April 14.

Swiss President Ueli Maurer said changes to Switzerland's practices in banking secrecy were unnecessary, AFP reported April 14.

A bomb blast in Swat Valley's Banjot village killed Mukarram Shah, the local leader of a secular-leaning party that supports military actions against militants in the region, AP reported April 14.

The United States is committed to defending Japan and opposed to any Chinese action to seize territory controlled by Japan in the East China Sea, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said April 14, AP reported.