| | |
| Japan's Abe to pick MP Kishida as foreign minister: Kyodo Monday, Dec 24, 2012 08:09 PM PST TOKYO (Reuters) - Incoming Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will appoint lower house lawmaker Fumio Kishida to the key post of foreign minister, Kyodo news agency reported on Tuesday, as the government seeks to balance a bolder diplomatic stance with the need to repair frayed ties with China and South Korea. The hawkish Abe must balance the need to stabilize relations with key trade partner Beijing and U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. approves new debate on arms treaty opposed by U.S. gun lobby Monday, Dec 24, 2012 06:13 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Monday to restart negotiations on a draft international treaty to regulate the $70 billion global trade in conventional arms, a pact the powerful U.S. National Rifle Association has been lobbying hard against. U.N. delegates and gun control activists have complained that talks collapsed in July largely because U.S. President Barack Obama feared attacks from Republican rival Mitt Romney before the November 6 election if his administration was seen as supporting the pact, a charge U.S. officials have denied. ... Full Story | Top |
| Japan's policy veteran Motegi likely to serve as trade minister: media Monday, Dec 24, 2012 06:00 PM PST TOKYO (Reuters) - Incoming Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is likely to pick policy veteran Toshimitsu Motegi as trade minister, who will also take charge of energy and other key economic policies, media reported on Tuesday. Motegi, 57, a former policy affairs chief for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), will tackle energy problems after last year's Fukushima nuclear crisis, as well as issues such as the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade pact, public broadcaster NHK said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Catholic Church urges Irish to oppose abortion law Monday, Dec 24, 2012 04:03 PM PST  DUBLIN (Reuters) - The head of Ireland's Catholic Church urged followers in his Christmas Day message to lobby against government plans to legalize abortion. Ireland, the only EU member state that currently outlaws the procedure, is preparing legislation that would allow limited access to abortion after the European Court of Human Rights criticized the current regime. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ambushed NY firemen shot dead; 2 police killed elsewhere Monday, Dec 24, 2012 02:36 PM PST  NEW YORK (Reuters) - A gunman who spent 17 years in prison for murder ambushed and killed two volunteer firefighters and wounded two others on Monday near Rochester, New York, as they responded to a house fire he deliberately set, police said. William Spangler, 62, shot and killed himself after a gunfight with a police officer in Webster, a Rochester suburb, Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering said. "It was a trap set by Mr. Spangler, who laid in wait and shot first responders," Pickering told a news conference. ... Full Story | Top |
| Venezuela's Chavez "improves slightly" after surgery: official Monday, Dec 24, 2012 02:20 PM PST  CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's condition has "improved slightly" after a cancer operation in Cuba, the information minister said on Monday, amid doubts over whether the former soldier is in good enough health to continue governing. "The patient has shown a slight improvement in his condition," Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said during a terse televised statement, adding the president has maintained contact with family members. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt to announce result of constitution vote on Tuesday Monday, Dec 24, 2012 11:53 AM PST  CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt will announce on Tuesday the official results of a vote on its new constitution, the head of the elections committee told state media on Monday, a step which paves the way for the formation of a new parliament in about two months. The creation of a new constitution is a vital step in Egypt's transition to democracy almost two years after the fall of military-backed strongman Hosni Mubarak. But the opposition says the text, crafted mostly by President Mohamed Mursi's Islamist allies, fails to guarantee personal freedom and the rights of women and minorities. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russian prosecutors seek innocent verdict in Magnitsky's death Monday, Dec 24, 2012 11:51 AM PST  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian prosecutors on Monday dropped their accusations against the only person being tried in connection with the prison death of anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, asking a court to find a former prison official not guilty. The surprise move in the trial of Dmitry Kratov came in the midst of a row between Moscow and Washington over U.S. legislation meant to punish Russians seen as linked to the death of Magnitsky and other alleged human rights violations. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kuwait urges Iran to address worries on nuclear plant Monday, Dec 24, 2012 10:59 AM PST  MANAMA (Reuters) - Kuwait urged neighboring Iran on Monday to cooperate more with the U.N. nuclear watchdog to allay Gulf Arab concerns about the safety of an Iranian nuclear power plant that lies just across the waterway from the emirate. The emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, said a recent shutdown at the Bushehr plant indicated Tehran had to work with the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy (IAEA) to ensure the safety of the facility near the coastal town of Bushehr. ... Full Story | Top |
| Turkey lifts objection to NATO cooperation with Israel Monday, Dec 24, 2012 10:50 AM PST ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey has given approval for Israel to participate in non-military NATO activities in 2013, withdrawing an earlier objection driven by an ongoing dispute between the former regional allies, a Turkish official said on Monday. Relations between Israel and what was once its only Muslim ally crumbled after Israeli marines stormed the Mavi Marmara aid ship in May 2010 to enforce a naval blockade of the Palestinian-run Gaza Strip and killed nine Turks in clashes with activists on board. The rift has continued despite U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Two drone strikes kill five in Yemen: officials Monday, Dec 24, 2012 10:34 AM PST SANAA/ADEN (Reuters) - At least five people were killed in two drone strikes in south Yemen on Monday in what security and local officials said were attacks on suspected al Qaeda-linked insurgents. Improving stability and security in Yemen is a priority for the United States and its Gulf Arab allies because of its strategic position next to the world's top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, and shipping lanes, and because it is home to one of the most active wings of al Qaeda. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kuwait to host Syria crisis meeting, envoy meets Assad Monday, Dec 24, 2012 10:18 AM PST  BEIRUT (Reuters) - Kuwait will host an international conference next month to tackle Syria's humanitarian crisis, the ruling emir said on Monday, as foes of President Bashar al-Assad voiced frustration with international efforts to end the civil war. In Damascus, special international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi met Assad but the Syrian opposition vented its anger at what it called a "silence" over the unabated killing of civilians by government forces, most recently in the central town of Halfaya. ... Full Story | Top |
| India clamps down on gang rape protests, PM appeals for calm Monday, Dec 24, 2012 09:31 AM PST  NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian authorities throttled movement in the heart of the capital on Monday, shutting roads and railway stations in a bid to restore law and order after police fought pitched battles with protesters enraged by the gang rape of a young woman. In an unusual televised address, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for calm following the weekend clashes in New Delhi and vowed to punish the rapists for their "monstrous" crime. ... Full Story | Top |
| Macedonia opposition ejected from parliament in row Monday, Dec 24, 2012 09:29 AM PST  SKOPJE (Reuters) - The opposition in Macedonia was ejected from parliament on Monday for brawling, prompting it to pledge to boycott the chamber and initiate a campaign of civil disobedience after a rancorous disagreement over the size of next year's budget. The incident occurred after thousands of pro- and anti-government demonstrators clashed outside parliament in Skopje, the capital, and allowed the government to push through a vote in favor of its contested budget proposals in which only just over half of MPs took part. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kuwait to host Syria donor meeting in late January Monday, Dec 24, 2012 09:02 AM PST MANAMA (Reuters) - Kuwait said on Monday it would host an international humanitarian donor conference for Syria in late January, amid mounting concern for millions of Syrians beset by war and winter cold. Speaking at a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a grouping of six oil-exporting Gulf Arab countries, Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al Sabah said Kuwait was acting in response to an invitation by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. ... Full Story | Top |
| Yemen says tribesmen hold three Westerners for ransom Monday, Dec 24, 2012 08:44 AM PST SANAA (Reuters) - A Finnish couple and an Austrian man abducted in Yemen are being held by tribesmen who are demanding a ransom in return for their freedom, an Interior Ministry official said on Monday. "We have information that a tribal group is holding the three Western nationals and they are asking for a ransom," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. They were kidnapped in the capital Sanaa on Friday. The ministry official told Reuters the three were being held in the town of Khawlan, about 20 km (12 miles) east of Sanaa. ... Full Story | Top |
| South Africa's Mandela to remain in hospital for Christmas Monday, Dec 24, 2012 08:05 AM PST  JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Former South African President Nelson Mandela continues to respond to treatment more than two weeks after being taken to hospital in Pretoria and will remain there for Christmas Day, the presidency said on Monday. The 94-year-old anti-apartheid hero and Nobel Peace laureate has been treated for a lung infection and gallstones after being hospitalized on December 8. President Jacob Zuma said in a statement that Mandela "will recover from this episode with all our support... We also humbly invite all freedom loving people around the world to pray for him. ... Full Story | Top |
| Monti urges debate on Italy election as rivals open fire Monday, Dec 24, 2012 08:02 AM PST  ROME (Reuters) - Outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti posted his reform agenda online on Monday, urging Italians to join a debate on their country's future as potentially bitter election campaign gets underway two months before Italy goes to polls. Following weeks of hesitation, Monti declared his availability on Sunday to lead a reform-minded centrist alliance to seek a second term to complete the economic reform program begun when he took office just over a year ago. ... Full Story | Top |
| Christmas brings fear of church bombs in Nigeria Monday, Dec 24, 2012 07:49 AM PST  MADALLA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Kneeling over a dusty grave on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital, 16-year old Hope Ehiawaguan says a prayer, lays down flowers and tearfully tells her brother she loves him. He was one of 44 killed on Christmas Day last year when a member of Islamist sect Boko Haram rammed a car packed with explosives into the gates of St Theresa's Church in Madalla, a satellite town 25 miles from the center of Abuja. Boko Haram has killed hundreds in its campaign to impose sharia law in northern Nigeria and is the biggest threat to stability in Africa's top oil exporter. ... Full Story | Top |
| S&P cuts Egypt rating on political strife Monday, Dec 24, 2012 07:29 AM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - Standard & Poors' cut Egypt's long-term credit rating on Monday and said another downgrade was possible if deepening political turbulence undermines efforts to prop up the economy and public finances. Egypt's popular uprising two years ago drove away tourists and foreign investors alike, helping push its budget deficit into double digits as a percentage of national output and worsening its balance of payments. A divisive battle over a new constitution this month has also prompted the government to delay urgent austerity measures and put a crucial $4.8 billion IMF loan on ... Full Story | Top |
| Ukraine central bank head named as deputy prime minister Monday, Dec 24, 2012 06:57 AM PST  KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich on Monday named a member of his inner circle, central bank head Serhiy Arbuzov, as deputy prime minister, making him an important player in upcoming talks with the IMF. The appointment to the number-two government position also makes Arbuzov a likely successor to Prime Minister Mykola Azarov. The first major task of the new cabinet will be to secure a new bailout program from the International Monetary Fund. ... Full Story | Top |
| No new vote in Venezuela if Chavez sworn in late: official Monday, Dec 24, 2012 06:56 AM PST  CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela will not call fresh elections if Hugo Chavez's cancer prevents him from taking office by January 10, the head of Congress said on Saturday, despite a constitutional mandate that the swearing-in take place on that date. Chavez is recovering in Cuba from a six-hour cancer operation that followed his October re-election. The socialist leader has not been heard from for nearly two weeks, raising doubts as to whether he will be fit to continue governing. ... Full Story | Top |
| Chinese police bust trafficking rings, rescue 89 children Monday, Dec 24, 2012 06:25 AM PST BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese police have rescued 89 children and arrested 355 suspects during a crackdown on nine child trafficking rings nationwide, state media reported on Monday. Police began the operation on December 18 in provinces including Guangdong and Sichuan, two of China's most populous, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing the Ministry of Public Security. ... Full Story | Top |
| Drone kills two Qaeda militants in south Yemen-officials Monday, Dec 24, 2012 05:45 AM PST SANAA (Reuters) - At least two militants were killed on Monday in what security and local officials said was a U.S. drone strike on a suspected position of al Qaeda-linked insurgents in southern Yemen. Washington has escalated its use of drones to kill suspected al Qaeda militants in Yemen, where the group exploited anti-government protests last year to seize swathes of territory in the south of the country before being driven out by a military offensive in June. The officials said the drone hit a vehicle in a town in southern al-Bayda province, killing at least two suspected militants. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pirates attack ship off Nigeria, kidnap four: agency Monday, Dec 24, 2012 05:03 AM PST ABUJA (Reuters) - Armed pirates have attacked a ship off the coast of Nigeria, kidnapping four crew members before releasing the vessel, the International Maritime Bureau said on Monday. It said on its website the attack took place on Sunday about 40 miles off the coast of Nigeria's oil-producing Bayelsa state. It said there were no injuries to other crew members and the ship continued to "a safe port". The Nigerian Navy did not respond to request for comment. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pakistan's loneliest church celebrates Christmas in Taliban country Monday, Dec 24, 2012 03:54 AM PST  SOUTH WAZIRISTAN, Pakistan (Reuters) - This Christmas, pastor Nazir Alam will stoke up a fire, lay a fresh cloth on the altar and welcome parishioners as they arrive at his church in Waziristan, a Pakistani tribal area known as an al-Qaeda haven. "The lights are all up, and the choir boys are ready. The church is looking its best," said 60-year-old Alam, a former missionary who has celebrated his last ten Christmases there. "There's not much left to do but to pray and rejoice." Outsiders might see little cause for joy. ... Full Story | Top |
| Eleven children killed in latest Chinese bus crash Monday, Dec 24, 2012 03:49 AM PST  BEIJING (Reuters) - At least 11 Chinese kindergarten children died when their minivan plunged into a pond on Monday, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Police detained the driver of the van, which was carrying 15 children in a rural part of the southern province of Jiangxi. The deaths of 18 nursery school children in a bus crash in November last year caused a wave of public anger and prompted Premier Wen Jiabao to pledge more money for school bus services. Despite the pledge, there have been a string of similar accidents. ... Full Story | Top |
| Afghan policewoman kills coalition contractor in Kabul: NATO Monday, Dec 24, 2012 03:11 AM PST  KABUL (Reuters) - An Afghan woman wearing a police uniform shot dead on Monday a civilian contractor working for Western forces in the police chief's compound in Kabul, NATO said. The incident is likely to raise troubling questions about the direction of an unpopular war. It appeared to be the first time that a woman member of Afghanistan's security forces carried out such an attack. There were conflicting reports about the victim. A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said a U.S. police adviser was killed by an Afghan policewoman. ... Full Story | Top |
| India and Russia seal new defense deals, trumpet partnership Monday, Dec 24, 2012 02:53 AM PST  NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India agreed to buy dozens of Russian military helicopters and kits for the assembly of Sukhoi jets at a summit in New Delhi on Monday, where the leaders of both countries reaffirmed their commitment to a strategic partnership. India, traditionally one of Moscow's top arms clients, said the two sides would also set up a joint venture to manufacture Russian-model helicopters and a $2 billion fund to invest in trade and economic cooperation projects. ... Full Story | Top |
| Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of meddling ahead of summit Monday, Dec 24, 2012 02:51 AM PST  MANAMA (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia on Monday told regional rival Iran to stop interfering in internal Gulf Arab affairs and spreading "sedition", activities Tehran denies. The comments, made by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, follow similar allegations leveled at Iran by the kingdom in the past, and other Gulf states are likely to voice similar complaints at a summit of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that opens later on Monday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gaza rocket attacks on Israel unlawful - rights group Monday, Dec 24, 2012 02:22 AM PST  JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Palestinian militants violated the laws of war by launching rockets at Israeli cities from the Gaza Strip during last month's fighting, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday. The New York-based group also said that militant organizations in the territory, which is ruled by the Islamist movement Hamas, put Palestinian civilians in harm's way by firing the rockets from within densely populated areas. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pakistan, Afghanistan trying to turn Taliban into political movement Monday, Dec 24, 2012 02:17 AM PST  KABUL (Reuters) - Pakistan is genuine about backing a nascent Afghan peace process and shares the Kabul government's goal of transforming the Taliban insurgency into a political movement, a senior Afghan government official told Reuters. Pakistan is seen as critical to U.S. and Afghan efforts to promote peace in Afghanistan, a task that is gaining urgency as NATO troops prepare to withdraw by the end of 2014 and hand over security responsibilities to government forces. ... Full Story | Top |
| Japan's Kawaguchi may serve as foreign minister again: media Monday, Dec 24, 2012 02:16 AM PST  TOKYO (Reuters) - Incoming Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe might ask upper house lawmaker Yoriko Kawaguchi to return for another stint as foreign minister, Kyodo reported on Monday. Japan's next foreign minister will serve against a backdrop of rising tensions with China, over a territorial dispute involving uninhabited isles in the East China Sea. Abe has called for a tougher stance toward China. Abe is now deciding on the lineup for his Cabinet, which is likely to be formally inaugurated on Wednesday, Kyodo said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Ethnicity and ICC cases heat up Kenya presidential race Monday, Dec 24, 2012 01:11 AM PST  NAIROBI (Reuters) - Alliances forged by Kenya's main presidential contenders for elections in March are lining up a repeat of a largely ethnic-based contest for political power which exploded into bloodshed in the 2007 vote. Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta, son of Kenya's founder president, lead the two main opposing camps for the March 4 presidential and parliamentary elections. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russia investigates protest leader for theft of party funds Monday, Dec 24, 2012 12:59 AM PST  MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian authorities have opened a third criminal investigation into opposition leader Alexei Navalny, saying on Monday that the critic of President Vladimir Putin is suspected of stealing millions of dollars from a political party in 2007. Navalny, 36, the most prominent leader of large street protests that erupted last December against Putin's nearly 13-year rule, already faces up to 10 years in jail if convicted on existing charges of theft from a state timber company. ... Full Story | Top |
| China to improve land compensation scheme to help stability Monday, Dec 24, 2012 12:19 AM PST  BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese officials will this week discuss improving compensation for expropriating farmland, state media said on Monday, in a move to help deal with growing rural anger about forced land seizures. A draft amendment to the Land Administration Law will remove a previous ceiling for calculating compensation which has been judged to be too low and also ensure money is paid out before land is expropriated, the official Xinhua news agency said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fragile Egypt economy overshadows Mursi's vote win Sunday, Dec 23, 2012 11:12 PM PST  CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi will have little time to savor victory in pushing through a new constitution as it may have cost the Islamist leader broader support for urgent austerity measures needed to fix the creaking economy. By fast-tracking the constitution through to a referendum that the opposition said was divisive, he may have squandered any chance of building a consensus on tax rises and spending cuts that are essential to rein in a crushing budget deficit. Unofficial tallies from Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood showed the charter was approved by a 64 percent ... Full Story | Top |
| Indian PM calls for calm after gang-rape sparks violent protests in capital Sunday, Dec 23, 2012 08:50 PM PST NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed for calm on Monday as he sought to tamp down growing public outrage over the gang-rape of a young woman that led to pitched battles between police and protesters in the heart of the capital at the weekend. Singh, who has faced fierce criticism for remaining largely silent about the rape, vowed action against what he called a "monstrous" crime. The 23-year-old victim, who was brutally attacked and then thrown from a moving bus in New Delhi, remains in hospital in a critical condition. ... Full Story | Top |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment