| | |
| U.N. rights envoy says mob attacked his car in Myanmar Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 09:10 PM PDT  YANGON (Reuters) - A 200-strong mob attacked a U.N. human rights envoy's car in central Myanmar this week, kicking windows and doors and shouting abuse, as he arrived to investigate Buddhist-led violence against Muslims, the envoy said. Tomás Ojea Quintana, a U.N. special rapporteur on human rights, said the attack occurred on Monday at about 10.30 p.m. in Meikhtila, where a wave of anti-Muslim riots in March killed at least 43 people, destroyed hundreds of homes and displaced thousands. ... Full Story | Top |
| Assad's forces bombard Damascus suburbs after gas attack: activists Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 08:44 PM PDT  AMMAN (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad's forces bombarded rebel-held suburbs of Damascus on Thursday, activists said, keeping up pressure on the besieged region a day after the opposition accused the army of gassing hundreds in a chemical weapons attack. Rockets fired from multiple launchers and heavy mortar rounds hit the eastern neighborhoods of Jobar and Zamalka, among areas on the eastern outskirts of the capital affected by chemical weapons attack that killed between 500 and 1,300 people on Wednesday, they said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Chinese court shows first picture of ousted politician Bo Xilai Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 08:37 PM PDT  JINAN, China (Reuters) - A Chinese court showed the first picture of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai in 17 months as he appeared at the start of his trial on Thursday. The picture, issued by the Jinan court in eastern China and shown on state media, showed a clean-shaven Bo standing in the dock without handcuffs, his hands crossed in front of him, and flanked by two policemen. (Reporting by John Ruwitch and Judy Hua; Editing by Ron Popeski) Full Story | Top |
| China's Bo Xilai goes on trial, culmination of dramatic fall Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 08:09 PM PDT  By John Ruwitch JINAN, China (Reuters) - Fallen Chinese politician Bo Xilai appeared in public for the first time in more than a year on Thursday to face trial in eastern China, the final chapter of the country's most politically charged case in more than three decades. Bo, the 64-year old former Communist Party chief of the southwestern metropolis of Chongqing, has been charged with bribery, corruption and abuse of power and will almost certainly be found guilty. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria gas 'kills hundreds,' Security Council meets Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 07:46 PM PDT  By Dominic Evans and Khaled Yacoub Oweis BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria's opposition accused government forces of gassing hundreds of people on Wednesday by firing rockets that released deadly fumes over rebel-held Damascus suburbs, killing men, women and children as they slept. With the death toll estimated between 500 and 1,300, what would be the world's most lethal chemical weapons attack since the 1980s prompted an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council in New York. The council did not explicitly demand a U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Abuse of power charge against China's Bo relates to murder case involving wife Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 07:43 PM PDT  JINAN, China (Reuters) - The charge of abuse of power against ousted former politician Bo Xilai relates to the murder case involving his wife, a court in eastern China said on Thursday. Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, was found guilty last year of the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood. Bo's former police chief, Wang Lijun, reported his suspicions about Gu to Bo, but Bo "boxed his ears", according to previous official accounts of Wang's trial last year. ... Full Story | Top |
| Flamboyant Chinese princeling faces final indignity Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 07:08 PM PDT  By Ben Blanchard BEIJING (Reuters) - The writing was perhaps already on the wall for Bo Xilai, the controversial former top official of China's southwestern city of Chongqing, when he appeared at last year's parliamentary meeting, alternately chastened and combative. In earlier annual sessions of parliament, Bo had swept in, all smiles and lanky grace, preceded by a wave of TV cameras and popping flashbulbs. This time he was uncharacteristically restrained. ... Full Story | Top |
| Brother speaks warmly in court of American soldier in Afghan rampage Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 04:56 PM PDT  By Jonathan Kaminsky TACOMA, Washington (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier who gunned down 16 Afghan civilians last year was an attentive father of two children and a duty-bound Army man before the attacks, his brother testified at a sentencing hearing on Wednesday. William Bales spoke warmly of his youngest brother, Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, saying the former high school football player left a carefree bachelor life behind to enlist in the military in the aftermath of al Qaeda attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. ... Full Story | Top |
| Divisive, dramatic case of China's Bo Xilai comes to trial Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 04:49 PM PDT  By John Ruwitch JINAN, China (Reuters) - Police blocked entry to a courthouse in the eastern Chinese city of Jinan on Thursday where the trial of ousted politician Bo Xilai is to open, the final, dramatic chapter of the country's most politically charged case in more than three decades. A convoy of police cars and a minivan entered the courthouse around 7.10 a.m. (6.10 p.m. EDT), possibly carrying Bo. Police lined roads leading to the courthouse and blocked its two gates. Dozens of journalists stood in a box that was cordoned off for the media across the street. ... Full Story | Top |
| Divided Egypt prepares to release Mubarak from jail Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 04:02 PM PDT  By Michael Georgy and Shadia Nasralla CAIRO (Reuters) - Deposed Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak could leave prison on Thursday after a court ruling that further divided a country in turmoil since the army toppled Islamist President Mohamed Mursi seven weeks ago. Convening at the Cairo jail where Mubarak is held, the court ordered the release of the military man who ruled Egypt for 30 years with an iron fist until he was overthrown during the uprisings that swept the Arab world in early 2011. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. Security Council says 'clarity' needed after alleged Syria attack Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 03:59 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council said it was necessary to clarify an alleged chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of Damascus on Wednesday but stopped short of explicitly demanding a probe by U.N. investigators in Syria. "There is a strong concern among council members about the allegations and a general sense that there must be clarity on what happened and the situation must be followed closely," Argentina's U.N. ambassador, Maria Cristina Perceval, told reporters after a closed-door emergency meeting of the council. While the council did not explicitly call for a U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Italy's Letta meets centre right, fails to resolve problems Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:46 PM PDT  By Catherine Hornby ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta met with Silvio Berlusconi's center-right party on Wednesday to seek a solution to a stand-off that threatens his fragile coalition, but positions remained "distant", a government source said. Berlusconi's conviction for tax fraud has shaken the stability of the left-right coalition, with the former prime minister's People of Freedom (PDL) party demanding guarantees for his political future. ... Full Story | Top |
| China to join global crackdown on tax evasion Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:31 PM PDT By Stella Dawson WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - China has agreed to join the international effort by the Group of 20 leading economies to combat tax evasion by signing an agreement to share tax records, the OECD said Wednesday. China's decision means that all G20 countries now have agreed to cooperate on tax avoidance, a priority set by global leaders to address the causes of the 2007-2009 financial crisis and to help combat corruption. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ousted Egyptian leader Mubarak to be put under house arrest Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:26 PM PDT  CAIRO (Reuters) - Deposed Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak will be put under house arrest, the prime minister's office said on Wednesday. Mubarak, who was toppled in a 2011 uprising, is expected to be released from a Cairo prison on Thursday. "In the context of the emergency law, the deputy military commander issued an order that Mohamed Hosni Mubarak should be put under house arrest," read a statement from the office. (Reorting by Asma Alsharif; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Andrew Heavens) Full Story | Top |
| U.S. soldier Manning gets 35 years for passing documents to WikiLeaks Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 02:03 PM PDT  By Ian Simpson and Medina Roshan FORT MEADE, Maryland (Reuters) - U.S. soldier Bradley Manning was sentenced on Wednesday to 35 years in a military prison for turning over more than 700,000 classified files to WikiLeaks in the biggest breach of secret data in the nation's history. The 25-year-old former low-level intelligence analyst, in uniform, stood quietly and showed no emotion as Judge Colonel Denise Lind sentenced him to less time behind bars than the 60 years sought by military prosecutors. ... Full Story | Top |
| Fear returns to Egypt as state crackdown widens Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 12:38 PM PDT  By Lin Noueihed CAIRO (Reuters) - A climate of fear that kept Egyptians compliant during the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak is creeping back into daily life, less than three years after the revolt that toppled him. Ordinary people like Mohamed, who runs a tiny Cairo shop selling mobile phone accessories, now lower their voices if they oppose the army's overthrow last month of their first freely-elected president, Mohamed Mursi. "It is about the principle that we stood in line and voted freely for the first time and this happens," whispered Mohamed, who declined to give his second name. ... Full Story | Top |
| France, Britain say U.N. must access alleged Syria attack site Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 12:21 PM PDT  PARIS (Reuters) - France and Britain said on Wednesday that United Nations inspectors currently in Syria should be allowed immediate access to the site of an alleged deadly chemical weapons attack. Syria's opposition accused government forces of gassing many hundreds of people - by one report as many as 1,300 - in a pre-dawn attack on Wednesday. The government of President Bashar al-Assad denied using chemical weapons. "I hope this will wake up some who have supported the Assad regime to realize its murderous and barbaric nature," British Foreign Secretary William Hague told reporters in ... Full Story | Top |
| Close Cameron aides asked paper to destroy Snowden data Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 12:18 PM PDT  By Andrew Osborn LONDON (Reuters) - Two of British Prime Minister David Cameron's most senior aides pressed the Guardian newspaper to hand over or destroy intelligence secrets leaked by Edward Snowden, political sources said on Wednesday. News that Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood and National Security Adviser Kim Darroch were involved drags Cameron into a storm over Britain's response to coverage of leaks from the fugitive U.S. intelligence contractor - a response that left even its U.S. ally talking of the importance of media freedom. ... Full Story | Top |
| Peru coffee growers clash with police in protests Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 12:17 PM PDT LIMA (Reuters) - Coffee growers from Peru's central jungle clashed with police on Wednesday as they demanded more government help in grappling with the roya fungus that has eaten up their crops and earnings this year. At least 1,000 farmers protested in Chanchamayo for the second day in a row, said producer Cesar Rivas by telephone from the coffee-growing province. Local television showed police beating protesters who had blocked a key highway to Lima. At least 15 people were arrested and one officer was wounded by a spear on Wednesday, RPP radio reported. ... Full Story | Top |
| Clashes in Central African Republic kill at least 10 Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 12:08 PM PDT By Paul-Marin Ngoupana BANGUI (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed in clashes across the capital of the Central African Republic between supporters of its former president and the fighters who ousted him and seized power five months ago, officials said. Newly sworn-in rebel leader Michel Djotodia is struggling to control the impoverished but mineral-rich nation, which has witnessed a string of violent power changes since independence from France in 1960. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mali's Keita promises new government chosen on merit, not favors Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 12:07 PM PDT  BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's president-elect Ibrahim Boubacar Keita pledged on Wednesday to choose a cabinet based on competence rather than party affiliation or family ties, a sign he will break a tradition of weak consensus governments. The comments were Keita's first since he won a strong mandate with 78 percent of the vote in an August 11 election that is due to draw a line under a coup last year and a French-backed war against al Qaeda-linked rebels who seized the desert north. ... Full Story | Top |
| Turkish foreign min says clear that chemical weapons used in Syria Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 12:05 PM PDT  ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's foreign minister said on Wednesday it was clear from television footage that chemical weapons had been used in an attack near the Syrian capital Damascus and telephoned U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to urge an immediate investigation. Syria's opposition accused government forces of gassing hundreds of people near Damascus by firing rockets that released deadly fumes over rebel-held suburbs, killing men, women and children as they slept. The Syrian government dismissed the allegation. ... Full Story | Top |
| Tourism firms to invest $8.6 billion in Mexico over three years: President Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 12:04 PM PDT  MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Private companies plan to invest $8.6 billion in tourism projects in Mexico over the next three years, President Enrique Pena Nieto said on Wednesday, as the country's tourism industry works to overcome publicity from drug-related violence. The investment will focus on building new hotels, refurbishing existing ones, and giving public spaces a facelift. Acapulco, one of Mexico's most famous beach resorts, has become one of the most violent cities in the Americas over the past three years because of in-fighting among drug gangs. ... Full Story | Top |
| Dozens arrested in Puerto Rico for alleged Social Security fraud Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 11:57 AM PDT SAN JUAN (Reuters) - U.S. federal authorities arrested 74 people in 25 towns across Puerto Rico early on Wednesday in an operation aimed at combating the abuse of Social Security and disability benefits. Agents from the FBI and the Social Security Administration participated in the sweep, which targeted 70 beneficiaries, a doctor, a therapist and two psychiatrists, said FBI spokesman Moises Quinoñes. Wednesday's actions are part of a wider crackdown on disability fraud on the island. Puerto Rico is home to nine of the top 10 U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Argentina says envoy to UK meant no offence to "dumb" Cameron Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 11:54 AM PDT  By Andrew Osborn and William James LONDON (Reuters) - Argentina's ambassador to Britain said on Wednesday she had not meant to offend Prime Minister David Cameron when she called him "dumb" and his handling of the long-running dispute over the Falkland Islands "foolish". In an effort to draw a line under the latest spat in an ill-tempered feud between the two countries over the South Atlantic archipelago, she said her words had been taken out of context. ... Full Story | Top |
| France, Britain say U.N. must have access to alleged Syria attack site Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 11:47 AM PDT PARIS (Reuters) - France and Britain said on Wednesday that United Nations inspectors currently in Syria should be allowed immediate access to the site of an alleged chemical weapons attack. "We hope the U.N. team in Damascus will be given immediate and unrestricted access to this area to try and establish the truth. There is no reason not to be given access when (the site) is not so many miles from where they are doing their work now," British Foreign Secretary William Hague told reporters in Paris. ... Full Story | Top |
| Clash between Nigerian police and Boko Haram kills 9 Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 11:24 AM PDT MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Islamist sect Boko Haram attacked a police station in northeast Nigeria on Wednesday, killing two officers but losing seven of its members, two local security sources said. The attack came two days after the military said the group's bellicose leader Abubakar Shekau might have died between July 25 and August 4 from gunshot wounds inflicted in a gun battle with security forces. ... Full Story | Top |
| Jordan revamps cabinet in push to speed up economic reform Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 11:21 AM PDT  By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan's Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour announced a cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday which bolstered the grip of technocrats charged with speeding up IMF-guided economic reforms crucial to rejuvenate sluggish growth. The move, affecting 14 portfolios, left the key interior, finance and foreign ministers in place. Political analysts say the new 23-member cabinet strengthens the role of technocrats at the expense of tribal figures who held sway in previous administrations. ... Full Story | Top |
| Swedish politician wounded in Somali kidnap attempt Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 10:48 AM PDT By Abdalle Ahmed MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali gunmen tried to kidnap a Swedish opposition politician on Wednesday in an ambush in which she and another woman were wounded and two men were killed, police said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. However, al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants have kept up guerrilla-style attacks and kidnappings in the city despite being largely pushed out by Somali and African forces two years ago. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pro-Mursi alliance calls for Friday protests against army Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 10:47 AM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Supporters of deposed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi called on Egyptians on Wednesday to hold "Friday of Martyrs" protests against the military takeover that ousted him seven weeks ago. A grouping calling itself The National Coalition to Support Legitimacy, which has been demanding Mursi's reinstatement, said in a statement: "We will remain steadfast on the road to defeating the military coup." (Reporting by Asma Alsharif; Writing by Michael Georgy) Full Story | Top |
| U.S. will work with U.N. Security Council on Syria: White House Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 10:38 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will consult with its partners on the United Nations Security Council about reports of chemical weapons use in Syria, a White House spokesman said on Wednesday. U.S. officials also have not yet been able to independently verify reports about the use of such weapons in Syria by government forces, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in a briefing. In an earlier statement, the White House expressed alarm about the reports and called urgently for a United Nations investigation. ... Full Story | Top |
| Europe shies away from cutting aid for Egypt Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 10:22 AM PDT  By Justyna Pawlak and John O'Donnell BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union stopped short of agreeing immediate cuts in financial or military assistance to Cairo on Wednesday, as the bloc's foreign ministers held emergency talks to find ways to help bring an end to violence in Egypt. The decision acknowledges Europe's limited economic muscle in forcing Egypt's army-backed rulers and the Muslim Brotherhood supporters of deposed President Mohamed Mursi into a peaceful compromise. ... Full Story | Top |
| White House calls for U.N. probe of alleged Syria gas attack Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 10:21 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House expressed alarm on Wednesday about reports of a massive deadly chemical weapons attack by Syrian government forces and called urgently for a United Nations investigation into the incident. Syria's opposition accused President Bashar al-Assad's loyalists of gassing many hundreds of people - as many as 1,300 according to on report - in what would, if confirmed, be the world's worst chemical weapons attack in decades. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. in talks with Syria over alleged chemical attack Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 10:12 AM PDT  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Chief U.N. chemical weapons inspector Ake Sellstrom is in discussions with the Syrian government over an alleged chemical weapons attack on Wednesday and is following the situation carefully, the United Nations said. The United States, Britain and France will ask U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon later on Wednesday to open an investigation into what may be one of the deadliest incidents of Syria's two-year-old civil war, U.N. diplomats said on condition of anonymity. Western and regional countries have called for U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pakistani seminary furious over U.S. 'terrorist' tag Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 10:06 AM PDT  By Jibran Ahmed PESHAWAR (Reuters) - Students and teachers at a Pakistani Islamic school designated as a "terrorist training center" by the United States furiously rebutted the charges Wednesday and said they had not had a chance to defend themselves against the accusations. The U.S. Treasury imposed economic sanctions on the Ganj madrassa, or Islamic school, in Peshawar on Tuesday, saying it trained recruits and facilitated funding for al Qaeda, the Taliban and Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is accused by Indian intelligence of masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The sanctions include a ban on ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. chemical arms inspector in talks with Syria on new attack Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 09:44 AM PDT  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Chief U.N. chemical weapons inspector Ake Sellstrom is in discussions with the Syrian government over an alleged chemical weapons attack on Wednesday and is following the situation carefully, the United Nations said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was shocked by the report of the alleged attack, his press office said in a statement "Professor Sellstrom is in discussions with the Syrian government on all issues pertaining to the alleged use of chemical weapons, including this most recent reported incident," the statement said. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. military chief sees more room to boost moderate Syrian rebels Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 09:40 AM PDT  By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military could - if asked - significantly boost American support to Syria's moderate opposition, the top U.S. military officer said, suggesting moderates were still unable to shape events should President Bashar al-Assad fall from power. General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the comments in a letter to a congressman seen by Reuters on Wednesday, in which he renewed his concerns about the limits of U.S. military power to steer events in Syria's war. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syrians retrieve 'sleeping' dead after alleged chemical attack Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 09:37 AM PDT By Erika Solomon and Stephen Kalin BEIRUT (Reuters) - The men, women and children lying undisturbed in their beds had looked so peaceful they might have been just sleeping, Abu Nidal thought, as he and other rescuers dragged their bodies into the street. His was one of many accounts of a massive assault on the eastern suburbs of Damascus that activists say killed more than 500 people on Wednesday morning. They say some of the bombs were loaded with chemical agent, which would make it the worst chemical attack since Syria's two-year conflict began. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S., Britain, France to seek UN probe of Syria attack: diplomats Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 09:35 AM PDT UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States, Britain and France will officially ask U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday to open a U.N. investigation into an alleged gas attack in Syria, U.N. diplomats said on condition of anonymity. Western and regional countries have publicly called for U.N. chemical weapons investigators, who arrived in Damascus three days ago to look into previous allegations of such attacks, to be dispatched to the scene of what may be one of the deadliest incidents of Syria's two-year-old civil war. The U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Mubarak, Egypt's 'Pharaoh', ordered freed from jail Wednesday, Aug 21, 2013 09:32 AM PDT  CAIRO (Reuters) - When President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in a 2011 revolt and later jailed, Egyptians who rose up against him hoped he would be a convict for life, or executed. However, an Egyptian court ordered Mubarak's release on Wednesday, his lawyer said, meaning he could leave prison on Thursday as there are no longer any legal grounds for his detention. Mubarak is being retried on charges of ordering the killing of protesters during the uprising, but has already served the maximum amount of pre-trial detention permitted in that case. ... Full Story | Top |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment