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| Congo rebels say will withdraw from Goma Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 05:20 PM PST  GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo said on Tuesday they would pull out of the eastern city of Goma in an apparent stalling of their drive to "liberate" the whole country. The situation on the ground remained far from clear after the rebels' political and military leaders gave conflicting statements over their intentions, though U.N. peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said in New York "there were indications tonight that possibly the M23 elements were starting to withdraw. ... Full Story | Top |
| Venezuela's Chavez heads to Cuba for medical treatment Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 04:13 PM PST  CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will travel to Cuba on Tuesday for medical treatment, following a nearly two-week absence from the public eye, months after undergoing cancer surgery on the communist-run island. Chavez, 58, underwent what appeared to be a remarkable comeback from an undisclosed type of cancer diagnosed in June 2011. In October, he won re-election despite running a campaign that was much more subdued than his previous bids. ... Full Story | Top |
| Libyan rescue of French refinery not ruled out: unions Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 03:57 PM PST PARIS (Reuters) - Libya is still in the race to save France's Petit-Couronne refinery from liquidation, trade unions said late on Tuesday, as the embattled workers press the French government to help bidders or requisition the plant. France's Industry Minister said earlier this month he had received a non-binding letter of interest from Libya's sovereign wealth fund to buy the refinery of insolvent Swiss refiner Petroplus. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria launches air strikes as combat rages in Damascus Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 03:43 PM PST  BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian war planes attacked towns in the country's north and east and killed at least five civilians in a strike on an olive oil press as fighting raged in the capital Damascus on Tuesday, opposition activists said. The latest fighting follows recent battlefield gains by the rebels in their struggle to topple President Bashar al-Assad, but it is far from clear if a strategic breakthrough is likely. More than 90 people were killed on Tuesday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. committee condemns Syria, Iran for rampant rights abuses Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 03:43 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A U.N. General Assembly committee on Tuesday condemned Syria and Iran for widespread human rights abuses, but both Damascus and Tehran dismissed the separate votes as politically motivated. The draft resolution on Syria, which was co-sponsored by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Britain, France and other Arab and Western states, received 132 votes in favor - 10 more than a similar resolution last year received - along with 12 against and 35 abstentions. ... Full Story | Top |
| High stakes as Syrian opposition tries to form government Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 03:43 PM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - Syria's new opposition coalition will hold its first full meeting on Wednesday to discuss forming a transitional government crucial to win effective Arab and Western support for the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad. The 60 or so delegates, chosen after marathon talks in Qatar this month, are meeting in Cairo ahead of a gathering of the Friends of Syria, a grouping of dozens of countries that had pledged mostly non-military backing for the revolt but which are worried by the rising influence of Islamists in the opposition. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senate works on new package of Iran sanctions Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 03:28 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New sanctions aimed at reducing global trade with Iran in the energy, shipping and metals sectors may soon be considered by the U.S. Senate as part of an annual defense policy bill, senators and aides said on Tuesday. The sanctions legislation, which has not yet been unveiled, comes during a crowded calendar as the Senate races to deal with deficit reduction, the defense bill and other pressing issues by the end of the year. The package would build on current U.S. sanctions, passed almost a year ago, that have slashed Iran's oil revenues. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egyptians challenge Mursi in nationwide protests Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 03:09 PM PST  CAIRO (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Egyptians rallied on Tuesday against President Mohamed Mursi in one of the biggest outpourings of protest since Hosni Mubarak's overthrow, accusing the Islamist leader of seeking to impose a new era of autocracy. Police fired tear gas at stone-throwing youths in streets near the main protest in Cairo's Tahrir Square, heart of the uprising that toppled Mubarak last year. Clashes between Mursi's opponents and supporters erupted in a city north of Cairo. ... Full Story | Top |
| Palestinians say no rush to join international court after U.N. vote Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 02:21 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Palestinians will not rush to sign up to the International Criminal Court if they win a U.N. status upgrade on Thursday, but warned that seeking action against Israel in the court would remain an option, said the Palestinian U.N. observer. The Palestinians appear certain to earn approval in the 193-member U.N. General Assembly for a status upgrade to "observer state" - similar to the Vatican's rank - from observer "entity." The move would implicitly recognize Palestinian statehood. ... Full Story | Top |
| Outrage at "Jewish list" call in Hungary parliament Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 02:08 PM PST  BUDAPEST (Reuters) - A call in the Hungarian parliament for Jews to be registered on lists as threats to national security sparked international condemnation of Nazi-style policies and a protest outside the legislature in Budapest on Tuesday. The lawmaker, from the far-right Jobbik party, dismissed demands he resign, however, and said his remarks during a debate on Monday had been misunderstood - he was, Marton Gyongyosi said, referring only to Hungarians with Israeli passports. ... Full Story | Top |
| Greek PM hails debt compromise, public skeptical Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 01:58 PM PST ATHENS (Reuters) - Prime Minister Antonis Samaras welcomed a debt deal agreed by lenders to unlock aid, promising skeptical Greeks a new dawn after months of haggling under the threat of bankruptcy. Worn down by political squabbling and repeated austerity cuts, many Greeks reacted to the deal with disdain while the Syriza opposition party called it a "half-baked compromise" that would not solve the country's problems. "A very grey, a very dark period for Greece officially ended yesterday and it has ended for good," Samaras said in a televised statement. ... Full Story | Top |
| Greece, markets satisfied by EU-IMF Greek debt deal Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 01:58 PM PST  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Greek government and financial markets were cheered on Tuesday by an agreement between euro zone finance ministers and the International Monetary Fund to reduce Greece's debt, paving the way for the release of urgently needed aid loans. The deal, clinched at the third attempt after weeks of wrangling, removes the biggest risk of a sovereign default in the euro zone for now, ensuring the near-bankrupt country will stay afloat at least until after a 2013 German general election. ... Full Story | Top |
| Seven killed as Nigeria gunmen rob banks and attack police Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 01:46 PM PST ONITSHA, Nigeria (Reuters) - - Bank robbers armed with assault rifles and high explosives attacked four banks and two police stations in southern Nigeria, in a coordinated strike that left seven people dead, police said on Tuesday. It was the latest in a spate of security lapses in Nigeria in the past two days, after a suicide bombing by suspected Islamists inside a military barracks on Sunday and a jail break in the capital Abuja in the early hours of Monday. The attack took place late on Monday night in the remote town of Auchi, in Edo state. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bangladesh mourns, calls factory fire 'act of sabotage' Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 01:45 PM PST  DHAKA/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Bangladesh said a fire that killed 111 textile workers was sabotage, as protesters took to the streets for a second day on Tuesday and garment factories across the world's second-biggest clothes exporter stopped work to mourn. Meanwhile two other incidents this week, neither of which caused injuries, had local manufacturing leaders scrambling to assess whether their industry was under attack. ... Full Story | Top |
| Philippine tax sheriff takes aim at cheats to hit target Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 01:26 PM PST  MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines' chief tax collector is constantly thinking about targets. Sometimes she picks up an assault rifle and hits them. In July 2010, newly-elected President Benigno Aquino made Kim Henares commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) because he wanted a tough tax sheriff - and he got one who's taking aim at the country's legion of tax cheats. Aquino gave Henares presidential guards, but the tax lawyer and accountant said "I should know how to shoot their guns, just in case". The president, a gun enthusiast, gave her lessons at shooting ranges. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. to raise passport map issue with China Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 12:50 PM PST  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will raise concerns with China over a new map in Chinese passports which details claims to disputed maritime territory, alarming some of its Southeast Asian neighbors, the State Department said on Tuesday. "We do have concerns about this map which is causing tension and anxiety between and among the states in the South China Sea," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told a news briefing. "We do intend to raise this with the Chinese in terms of it not being helpful to the environment we all seek to resolve these issues. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sarkozy returns to French politics as party peace broker Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 12:35 PM PST  PARIS (Reuters) - Ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy sought on Tuesday to broker a truce between the two men locked in a leadership dispute that could break up France's right-wing opposition party just months after it lost power. Nine days after a disputed internal leadership election that plunged his UMP party into crisis, the two politicians fighting to become leader agreed to hold a new election, but only if the re-run was endorsed first in a referendum among UMP members. ... Full Story | Top |
| Three parliaments to vote on Greek debt deal Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 12:32 PM PST PARIS (Reuters) - Three national parliaments in the 17-nation euro area will have to hold votes to approve a dealt among international lenders on reducing Greece's debt burden, a Reuters survey shows. The German Bundestag (lower house) will debate the issue this week and vote on Thursday or Friday on the deal, which was struck early on Tuesday to cut interest rates, extend the maturity of loans by 15 years to 30 and grant Greece a 10-year interest payment holiday. ... Full Story | Top |
| Chronology: Hugo Chavez's battle for health Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 12:27 PM PST (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will travel to Cuba on Tuesday for medical treatment, months after he underwent chemotherapy and radiation there for cancer. Following is a chronology of the 58-year-old Socialist leader's battle with illness: 30 JUNE 2011 A pale-looking Chavez addresses the nation by television from Cuba, where he says doctors operated on him to remove a cancerous tumor from his pelvis. 4 JULY 2011 The president makes a surprise return to Venezuela ahead of the country's Independence Day celebrations. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mursi decree stirs debate on Brotherhood role Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 12:09 PM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - The decree that expanded President Mohamed Mursi's powers and plunged Egypt into crisis came as a shock to some of his team; a step with huge legal ramifications, it appeared to have caught even his justice minister off guard. The surprise move on November 22 has fueled debate on how far the Muslim Brotherhood is dictating policy and ignoring cabinet members and others in an administration that Mursi presents as being inclusive of Egypt's political forces and not dominated by the Islamist party whose electoral muscle put him in office. ... Full Story | Top |
| Samples taken from Arafat corpse for poison tests Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 11:21 AM PST  RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Forensic experts took samples from Yasser Arafat's corpse in the West Bank on Tuesday, trying to determine if he was murdered with the hard-to-trace radioactive poison, polonium. Palestinians witnessed the funeral of their hero and longtime leader eight years ago, but conspiracy theories surrounding his death have never been laid to rest. Many are convinced their icon was the victim of assassination by Israeli agents, and may have been poisoned wittingly or unwittingly by a Palestinian. They may remain convinced of that, whatever the outcome of this autopsy. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hungary "further from IMF deal" than a year ago: central banker Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 10:57 AM PST BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's central bank cut rates again on Tuesday to help the shrinking economy even though the bank's Governor said the country was drifting away from an IMF and EU loan deal. The government member in charge of the talks played down the importance of an agreement, speaking later at a conference. After the bank lowered rates for a fourth straight month, its Governor, Andras Simor said Hungary was further from a deal with the International Monetary Fund and the European Union than a year ago when it announced it would seek aid. ... Full Story | Top |
| WikiLeaks' Assange blames U.S. right for funding block Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 10:37 AM PST  LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange accused "hard-right" U.S. politicians on Tuesday of pressing European credit card firms to block more than $50 million of donations to the website that published thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables. Assange, speaking to reporters at the Ecuadorean embassy in London where he took refuge in June to avoid extradition to Sweden, said the credit card companies' action had forced WikiLeaks to reduce the volume of documents it posted online. ... Full Story | Top |
| New Libyan foreign minister wins integrity appeal Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 10:28 AM PST TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's proposed foreign minister was cleared to take office by an Integrity Commission on Tuesday after some members of parliament questioned how close the former ambassador to the United States had been to ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi. Ali Aujali was among eight of the 27 ministers nominated by Prime Minister Ali Zeidan who were referred to the commission, which studies the backgrounds of public officials, after protests outside congress over the make up of the cabinet. ... Full Story | Top |
| Anger as Hungary far-right leader demands lists of Jews Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 10:26 AM PST  BUDAPEST (Reuters) - A Hungarian far-right politician urged the government to draw up lists of Jews who pose a "national security risk", stirring outrage among Jewish leaders who saw echoes of fascist policies that led to the Holocaust. Marton Gyongyosi, a leader of Hungary's third-strongest political party Jobbik, said the list was necessary because of heightened tensions following the brief conflict in Gaza and should include members of parliament. ... Full Story | Top |
| Car bombs kill 23 Shi'ite Muslims in Iraqi capital Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 10:21 AM PST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Three car bombings killed 23 Shi'ite Muslims during mourning processions in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Tuesday, police and hospital sources said. Dozens more were injured in the explosions. They struck during the holy month of Ashura, of special significance to Shi'ites who are prime targets of al Qaeda's Iraqi affiliate and other Sunni Muslim insurgents. Attacks on Iraqi Shi'ites tend to increase during Ashura, but Tuesday's was the first major one so far this year. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fighter's release fuels fears of ethnic violence in Russia Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 10:11 AM PST MOSCOW (Reuters) - An ethnic Dagestani martial arts fighter was spared jail on Tuesday by a Moscow court that found him guilty of the manslaughter of an ethnic Russian in a case that could fuel protests on the anniversary of nationalist riots. Riot police were on alert after the ruling and restricted access to Manezh square, scene of Moscow's worst ethnic violence in post-Soviet history on December 11, 2010. Police detained several nationalists outside the court where some were shouting chants urging people to gather in Manezh square again, RBC news agency said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sudan says to resume security talks with South Sudan next week Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 10:01 AM PST KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan will resume talks with South Sudan next week to discuss how to set up a demilitarized border zone, a condition for resuming southern oil exports through the north, state news agency SUNA said on Tuesday. In September, the neighbors agreed to end hostilities and revive oil exports after coming close to war in April, the worst violence since South Sudan seceded last year. Juba had shut down in January its oil production of 350,000 barrels a day after tensions over pipeline fees escalated. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russian Cossacks test their powers in Moscow street patrol Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 09:56 AM PST MOSCOW (Reuters) - By tradition, Cossacks protected Russia's borderlands, but on Tuesday descendants of the Tsarist warrior caste patrolled a patch of central Moscow as part of a resurgence encouraged by President Vladimir Putin. A handful of men in high lambswool hats and epaulettes paced a slushy square around a major railway station, looking for illegal trade and other infractions in what they called a trial run for further patrols in the heart of the Russian capital. ... Full Story | Top |
| Lack of reform progress delays Bosnia's EU bid: Fuele Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 09:36 AM PST SARAJEVO (Reuters) - The failure of Bosnia's political leaders to make progress on reforms sought by the European Union will further delay the Balkan country's application for the membership of the bloc, the EU enlargement chief said on Tuesday. Bosnia has planned to apply for the membership of the 27-nation bloc this year but bickering among its ethnic Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim), Serb and Croat leaders has repeatedly stalled reforms since 2008, when the country signed its association contract with the EU. Disputes over the budget have forced yet another delay. ... Full Story | Top |
| Iran's nuclear stockpile grows but not yet in "danger zone" Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 09:20 AM PST  VIENNA (Reuters) - An increase in Iran's higher-grade uranium stockpile is worrying but may arise from a bottleneck in making reactor fuel rather than a bid to quickly accumulate material that could be used for nuclear weapons, diplomats and experts say. The issue of when and how fast Iran might be able to build an atomic bomb if it chose to do so is closely watched in the West because it could determine any decision by Israel to launch pre-emptive strikes against the Islamic Republic. ... Full Story | Top |
| Plane crashes off Comoros, all 29 on board survive Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 09:11 AM PST MORONI (Reuters) - A plane crashed in the Indian Ocean off the Comoros Islands on Tuesday after suffering mechanical problems, but all 29 people on board survived, officials said. The Embraer jet went down about 200 meters from Moroni airport, five minutes after taking off at about 1020 GMT, they said. The plane, belonging to Inter-Iles, had been bound for the neighboring island of Anjouan. A senior military official who gave his name only as Zarouk and was on board the plane, said aircraft fuel was leaking "like an open tap" upon take-off. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain wants more frequent reviews of EU's Syria arms embargo Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 09:08 AM PST BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain is pushing the European Union to hold frequent reviews of its arms embargo on Syria to make it easier in the future to arm rebels fighting to depose President Bashar al-Assad, diplomats said on Tuesday. The proposal, which is said to have been driven by Prime Minister David Cameron, marks a hardening of Britain's position and shows how the formation of a united Syrian opposition has galvanized overseas support for the rebels. ... Full Story | Top |
| Germany will back Greek aid but wary of hints at haircut Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 09:07 AM PST BERLIN (Reuters) - German lawmakers are likely to approve the release of Greek aid immediately despite suspicions that talks on a debt write-down have just been delayed until after Germany's 2013 elections. Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right coalition and the opposition Social Democrats (SPD) said on Tuesday that the Greek deal agreed overnight would be put to the vote in the Bundestag lower house on Thursday or Friday. With both sides voicing support, approval is guaranteed but the question will be whether the chancellor can rely on her coalition or needs the votes of the SPD and Greens. ... Full Story | Top |
| German MPs should be briefed on Greek deal before vote: Steinbrueck Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 09:07 AM PST BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's parliament should not vote on a new funding deal for Greece until the government has provided all necessary information to lawmakers, Peer Steinbrueck of the main opposition Social Democrats (SPD) said on Tuesday. Germany's Bundestag lower house is expected to debate and approve the aid for Greece later in the week, though no definitive date has yet been set. Steinbrueck is the SPD's candidate for chancellor in next year's election. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Hans-Edzard Busemann) Full Story | Top |
| Greece appoints new debt agency chief: source Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 09:07 AM PST ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece has appointed banker Stelios Papadopoulos as new head of the country's Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA), a finance ministry official told Reuters on Tuesday on condition of anonymity. Papadopoulos replaces Petros Christodoulou, who left the PDMA earlier this year to become a senior executive at National Bank of Greece, the country's biggest commercial lender. The debt agency oversaw the country's debt restructuring earlier this year and will conduct a planned debt buyback under its latest bailout. (Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas) Full Story | Top |
| Germany must veto Greek aid if haircut risk: Merkel ally Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 09:07 AM PST BERLIN (Reuters) - The German parliament cannot approve a new aid deal for Greece this week if lawmakers determine that it might pave the way for future losses on government loans to Athens, a senior parliamentarian from Chancellor Angela Merkel's party said. Michael Meister, a deputy leader of the Christian Democrats (CDU) in the Bundestag lower house, told Reuters he expected the government to explain all aspects of the Greek deal that may not be fully clear, including the promise to take additional steps to reduce Greece's debt mountain at a future date. ... Full Story | Top |
| Greek surplus would erase German haircut objections: Schaeuble Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 09:07 AM PST BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's legal reservations about a further write-down of Greek public debt would cease to apply if the country were to reach a sustainable primary budget surplus, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said on Tuesday. He told reporters there was little time for maneuver before the December 13 deadline for a Greek debt buy-back, which is at the heart of a new debt sustainability plan agreed by euro zone finance ministers, but he was confident it would work. ... Full Story | Top |
| Car bombs kill 14 Shi'ite Muslims in Iraqi capital Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 08:58 AM PST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Three car bombings killed 14 Shi'ite Muslims during mourning processions in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Tuesday, police and hospital sources said. Dozens more were injured in the explosions. They struck during the holy month of Ashura, of special significance to Shi'ites who are prime targets of al Qaeda's Iraqi affiliate and other Sunni Muslim insurgents. (Reporting by Kareem Raheem; Writing by Isabel Coles; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Full Story | Top |
| Saudi crown prince says King Abdullah "well and in good health" Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 08:56 AM PST JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Saudi Crown Prince Salman said on Tuesday that King Abdullah was "well and in good health", more than 10 days after the monarch underwent back surgery, a message likely to reassure many states keen on the stability of the world's biggest oil exporter. No photographs have been released of the monarch, believed to be in his late 80s, since the 11-hour operation on November 17 at the National Guard's King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh. "Brothers, I convey to you greetings of ... ... Full Story | Top |
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