| | |
| Cyprus president says committed to stability, swift bailout Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 11:36 AM PST  NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cyprus's new President Nicos Anastasiades vowed on Thursday to work for a swift conclusion of a bailout for the cash-starved island, ruling out debt or deposit "haircuts" for the Mediterranean nation threatened with a financial meltdown. Economic turmoil engulfing Cyprus, one of the euro zone's smallest economies, could test the European Union's mettle in a crisis threatening to spill beyond the tiny island's shores and unravel nascent recovery in the bloc. ... Full Story | Top |
| Italy's Berlusconi investigated in new corruption case Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 11:24 AM PST ROME (Reuters) - Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is under investigation on suspicion of bribing a senator to change sides in parliament, deepening the legal troubles of one of the key players in the country's post-election deadlock. Berlusconi's lawyer Niccolo Ghedini said the accusation "was without foundation". The allegations were detailed in a document from prosecutors posted on Thursday on the website of Italy's parliament, which must approve the court's request to search a Berlusconi security deposit box and access his phone records. ... Full Story | Top |
| Italian president says forming new government cannot be rushed Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 11:24 AM PST  BERLIN (Reuters) - Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said on Thursday that the formation of a new government could not be rushed because of what he said were unfounded fears that Italy was a threat to the stability of Europe. Napolitano told reporters during a visit to Berlin that the Italian constitution requires 20 days between elections - which were held on Sunday and Monday - and the new parliament sitting for the first time. "I don't see right now how it could be accelerated. ... Full Story | Top |
| Benedict's reign ends with a promise to obey next pope Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 11:21 AM PST VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict ended his difficult reign on Thursday pledging unconditional obedience to whoever succeeds him to guide the Roman Catholic Church at one of the most crisis-ridden periods in its 2,000-year history. The papacy became vacant at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT/2PM ET), marking the first time in six centuries a pope has resigned instead of ruling for life. ... Full Story | Top |
| Haiti's Duvalier finally in court to face abuse of power charges Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 11:16 AM PST  PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier faced corruption and human rights charges in a court on Thursday for the first time since a popular revolt forced him into exile in 1986, and denied responsibility for abuses under his 15-year rule. Individual government officials "had their own authority" the 61-year-old Duvalier said when asked about his role as head of state from 1971 to 1986. "Under my authority, children could go to school, there was no insecurity," he told the court. ... Full Story | Top |
| African leaders call for U.N. mandate for Mali mission Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 11:03 AM PST  YAMOUSSOUKRO (Reuters) - West African leaders on Thursday called for a regional military operation against al Qaeda-linked rebels in north Mali to be transformed into a U.N. peacekeeping mission as quickly as possible to secure desperately needed funding. France sent troops into its former colony last month to drive out Islamist fighters, claiming their seizure of Mali's north last year posed a threat to international security. ... Full Story | Top |
| Al Qaeda commander Abou Zeid killed in Mali: Ennahar TV Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 11:03 AM PST ALGIERS/DAKAR (Reuters) - French forces have killed Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, one of the most feared commanders of al Qaeda's north Africa wing (AQIM), during an operation against Islamist fighters in mountainous northern Mali, Algeria's Ennahar television said on Thursday. Abou Zeid was among 40 militants killed three days ago in the foothills of the Adrar des Ifoghas mountains near the Algerian border, said Ennahar, which is well connected with Algeria's security services. French and Chadian troops have been hunting fighters there after a lightning campaign to dislodge them from northern Mali. ... Full Story | Top |
| Libya PM denies Gaddafi premier in "critical condition" Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 11:02 AM PST  TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's prime minister dismissed on Thursday reports that Muammar Gaddafi's former premier was in a critical condition after being tortured in prison while a United Nations team visited him in jail and said he appeared in "decent" shape. Al Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi was extradited from Tunisia in June, making him the first senior Gaddafi official to be returned for trial under Libya's new leadership. He went on trial in November charged with corruption and ordering mass rape during the 2011 conflict that toppled Gaddafi and is being held in a Tripoli prison. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. to give Syrian rebels medical, food aid, not arms Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 10:54 AM PST  ROME (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday it will for the first time give non-lethal aid to Syrian rebels and more than double its aid to Syria's civilian opposition, disappointing opponents of President Bashar al-Assad clamoring for Western weapons. The United States cast the aid as a way to bolster the rebels' popular support. It will include medical supplies, food for rebel fighters and $60 million to help the civil opposition provide basic services like security, education and sanitation. U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Portugal needs to push permanent spending cuts: PM Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 10:47 AM PST  LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's prime minister signaled on Thursday he intends to move ahead with a deep reform of the state, which is set to include big spending cuts, saying the reforms are necessary to be able to lower taxes in the future. "Reform of the state has already started but it now needs a new push," Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho told a conference, referring to state reforms that the government has said will include 4 billion euros ($5 billion)in spending cuts. "The state reform has to include the objective of permanent spending cuts. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria prolongs passports, meeting opposition talk demand Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 10:29 AM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria extended passport terms on Thursday for its nationals abroad, meeting a prerequisite set by the opposition for peace talks with representatives of President Bashar al-Assad. Damascus has shown increased willingness to hold talks with the opposition to end the 23-month-old conflict which has left 70,000 dead. Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said on Monday that the government would even speak to armed rebels. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bombs kill at least 22 in Iraqi capital Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 10:18 AM PST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 22 people were killed in a series of blasts in Shi'ite neighborhoods of Baghdad on Thursday, police sources said, as Iraq's precarious sectarian balance comes under growing strain. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Sunni Muslim insurgents have been redoubling their efforts to undermine the Shi'ite-led government and spark deeper intercommunal fighting since the start of the year. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ex-Yugoslav army leader acquitted of war crimes Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 09:59 AM PST  THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The former head of the Yugoslav army was acquitted on Thursday of charges of aiding and abetting atrocities committed in Bosnia and Croatia during the 1990s, in a ruling that was condemned by victims but welcomed by Serb officials. United Nations war crimes judges said Momcilo Perisic had provided legitimate military support to the ethnic Serb Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) forces in Bosnia, but ruled he had not ordered them to commit war crimes. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU agrees to allow some non-lethal aid for Syrian opposition Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 09:58 AM PST BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union said it amended sanctions on Syria on Thursday to permit the supply of armored vehicles, non-lethal military equipment and technical aid to the Syrian opposition, provided they were intended to protect civilians. The measure, adopted by EU governments, extends EU sanctions on Syria until June 1 and responds to pressure from Britain and others to ease the EU arms embargo to help opponents of President Bashar al-Assad. ... Full Story | Top |
| Man dragged by South Africa police dies in custody Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 09:44 AM PST  JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African police were caught on video dragging a man hundreds of meters from the back of a pick-up truck, hours before he died in custody, drawing a storm of protest against a force accused of routine brutality. The 27-year-old Mozambican taxi driver, Mido Macia, was found dead in detention with signs of head injuries and internal bleeding, according to an initial post mortem report released by the country's police watchdog. The incident, videotaped on Tuesday and broadcast nationwide on Thursday, was condemned by President Jacob Zuma and opposition politicians. ... Full Story | Top |
| Dismissed head of Libya sovereign wealth fund stays put Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 09:22 AM PST  TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya will replace the head of its sovereign wealth fund, Mohsen Derregia, after the government deemed his performance unsatisfactory, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said, but so far he has refused to step down despite being told to do so days ago. Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Zeidan said deputy central bank governor Ali Mohammed Salem Hebri would temporarily take charge of the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) until a permanent replacement was found. "The head of the LIA will be changed. This is the government's policy. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pope Benedict quits Vatican with promise to obey successor Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 09:20 AM PST VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict left the Vatican on Thursday after pledging unconditional obedience to whoever succeeds him to guide the Roman Catholic Church at one of the most crisis-ridden periods in its 2,000-year history. The first pope in six centuries to step down, Benedict flew off in a white Italian air force helicopter for the papal summer villa south of the capital where he took up temporary residence. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria's Assad deluded by his inner circle, U.N. envoy Brahimi says Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 09:10 AM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been convinced by his inner circle that his country is the victim of a broad conspiracy led by terrorists, U.N./Arab League peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said on Thursday. Brahimi said hope for a solution to the crisis, which began as a peaceful pro-democracy uprising but has turned into a conflict on largely sectarian lines, lay in the hands of Russia and the United States. More than 70,000 Syrians have been killed in almost two years of fighting. ... Full Story | Top |
| Town accustomed to pontiffs welcomes ex-pope Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 09:05 AM PST CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (Reuters) - The Italian hilltop town of Castel Gandolfo, summer host to popes for centuries, took on a new mission on Thursday as it became the temporary home of the first "pope emeritus". Pope Benedict will spend the first few months of his retirement in the papal summer residence, a complex of villas boasting lush gardens, a farm and stunning views over Lake Albano in the volcanic crater below the town. Locals set up banners and balloons in the square outside the Papal Palace on Thursday to welcome the pontiff, whose papacy was due to end at 8 p.m. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pope lands in temporary residence after leaving Vatican Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 09:05 AM PST CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (Reuters) - Pope Benedict's helicopter landed in Castel Gandolfo, just south of Rome, on Thursday where at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT) he will resign and leave the papacy vacant. (Reporting by Philip Pullella) Full Story | Top |
| Latin's top devotee quits, the pope who tweeted as Pontifex Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 09:05 AM PST VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - With Pope Benedict's abdication on Thursday, the most prominent living speaker of Latin will retire into the shadows, after doing much during his eight-year pontificate to give the language of ancient Rome a new lease of life. Benedictus, his name in Latin, set up the "Pontifical Academy of Latinity" to promote its use inside the Roman Catholic Church and beyond and chose to deliver his abdication speech in Latin, in what was considered a model of clarity. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pope leaves Vatican before abdication Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 09:05 AM PST VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict left the Vatican on Thursday and headed to the papal summer residence where he will become the first pontiff in six centuries to resign instead of ruling for life. A white Italian air force helicopter lifted off from the Vatican's heliport to fly the 85-year-old pope to Castel Gandolfo, just south of Rome, where at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT) he will resign and leave the papacy vacant. Before heading south, the helicopter circled Vatican City and flew over the Colosseum and other Rome landmarks to give the pontiff one last view of the city where he is also bishop. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pope Benedict bids final public farewell Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 09:05 AM PST CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (Reuters) - Pope Benedict said a final public farewell on Thursday before his pontificate ends, telling a crowd in front of his temporary residence outside Rome that he was preparing to enter the last phase of his life. "As you know today is different to previous ones. I will only be the supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church until 8 p.m. (1900 GMT/ 2 p.m. ET)," he said. "After that I will simply be a pilgrim who is starting the last phase of his pilgrimage on this earth." (Reporting By Philip Pullella; editing by Barry Moody) Full Story | Top |
| Argentina's Congress approves pact with Iran to probe bombing Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 09:04 AM PST  BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina's Congress approved early on Thursday an agreement with Iran aimed at resolving the 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish community center that Argentine courts have long accused Tehran of sponsoring. Jewish leaders say the pact to set up a "truth commission" risks undermining the ongoing judicial investigation into the attack, which killed 85 people, but President Cristina Fernandez says it could shed new light on the case after years of deadlock. ... Full Story | Top |
| Death toll from Swiss shooting rises to four Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 08:51 AM PST  ZURICH (Reuters) - A fourth person has died in hospital from injuries sustained in a shooting at a Swiss wood processing plant near the city of Lucerne, police said on Thursday. A 42-year-old factory worker opened fire on co-workers with a Sphinx AT 380 pistol on Wednesday, killing two colleagues and wounding seven others. The gunman was also found dead at the scene but police have given no details on how he died. Police said they were still investigating how the weapon came into the man's possession and the motive for the attack. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bangladesh Islamist's death sentence sparks deadly riots Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 08:34 AM PST  DHAKA (Reuters) - A Bangladeshi Islamist party leader was sentenced to death on Thursday over abuses carried out during the country's independence war, triggering riots that killed at least 30 people. Delwar Hossain Sayedee, 73, vice-president of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was found guilty by Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal of mass killing, rape, arson, looting and forcing minority Hindus to convert to Islam during the 1971 war of separation from Pakistan, lawyers and tribunal officials said. ... Full Story | Top |
| South Africa's Zuma takes anti-rape campaign to the classroom Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 08:06 AM PST  CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - President Jacob Zuma launched an anti-rape campaign targeting South Africa's 10 million schoolchildren on Thursday, an attempt to tackle some of the world's highest levels of sexual violence in a country where many are inured to reports of such crimes. Girls and boys suffer sexual abuse, bullying and rape in the classroom and playground on a regular basis, according to domestic media reports, and researchers say many youngsters do not know what is right and wrong. "What we are launching today is not a women's campaign. ... Full Story | Top |
| Man dragged by South Africa police vehicle dies in detention Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 07:53 AM PST JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - A video of South African police dragging a man for hundreds of meters from the back of a pick-up truck drew a storm of protest on Thursday against a force accused of routine brutality against citizens. The man, a 27-year-old Mozambican taxi driver who had resisted arrest, died in detention of head injuries and internal bleeding, according to an initial post mortem report. The incident was videotaped on Tuesday and was broadcast nationwide on Thursday. It soon dominated the agenda on talk shows and in social media. ... Full Story | Top |
| Al Qaeda commander Abu Zeid killed in Mali: Ennahar TV Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 07:40 AM PST  ALGIERS (Reuters) - French forces in Mali have killed Abdelhamid Abu Zeid, a leading field commander of al Qaeda's north Africa wing AQIM, Algerian Ennahar television reported on Thursday. The station said 40 militants including Abu Zeid were killed in the region of Tigargara in northern Mali three days ago. A French Defence Ministry official declined to comment on the report. Algeria did not confirm the killing. France launched a whirlwind assault to retake Mali's vast northern desert region from AQIM and other Islamist rebels on January 11 after a plea from Mali's caretaker government. ... Full Story | Top |
| Moldova's government faces no-confidence vote next week Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 07:28 AM PST  KIEV (Reuters) - Moldova's pro-Western government will face a vote of no confidence next week that could trigger an early election if the feuding members of the ruling coalition fail to unite against the motion. The ballot was called on Thursday by opposition communists after Prime Minister Vlad Filat fell out with other leaders of the Alliance for European Integration who have called for his resignation. According to parliamentary procedure, the no-confidence vote must be held on March 5. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syrian opposition delays meeting to choose PM Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 07:24 AM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria's political opposition has postponed talks to choose the leader of a provisional government, two opposition sources said on Thursday, hours after a meeting with Western powers produced few tangible results for President Bashar al-Assad's foes. Opposition leaders had hoped a meeting in Istanbul on Saturday would elect a prime minister to operate in rebel-controlled areas of Syria, threatened by a slide into chaos as the conflict between Assad's forces and insurgents approaches its second anniversary. ... Full Story | Top |
| Appeal judges overturn conviction of former Yugoslav army leader Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 07:14 AM PST  THE HAGUE (Reuters) - U.N. war crimes court judges on Thursday overturned the conviction of the former chief of staff of the Yugoslav army, acquitting him of charges of aiding and abetting crimes committed in Bosnia and Croatia during the Yugoslav wars. Judges said Momcilo Perisic, who was head of the Yugoslav army from 1993, had not directed ethnic Serb forces in Bosnia to use military aid sent from Belgrade for the commission of crimes. They also said he had not been in a position to discipline soldiers for shelling the Croatian capital Zagreb. ... Full Story | Top |
| France's Hollande says wants Syria talks widened Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 07:11 AM PST MOSCOW (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande said on Thursday he wanted to see negotiations over the Syria crisis widened to include parties that could act as negotiators between President Bashar al-Assad and opposition rebels. Hollande said after discussing the crisis with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and agreeing that Paris and Moscow both want to avoid Syria breaking apart, that a more open dialogue was the only way to start resolving the crisis. "We have the same aim even if we differ on how to get there. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kurdish rebel leader airs frustrations in Turkey peace process Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 07:06 AM PST  ISTANBUL (Reuters) - From his island prison, Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan has accused the fighters he commands of hampering his efforts to end a decades-old conflict and warned the Turkish government against any attempt to dictate terms. In the transcript of a weekend meeting between Ocalan and Kurdish politicians published in Milliyet daily and confirmed by a party to the talks, Ocalan offered a first public insight into his role and apparent frustrations in a frail peace process. ... Full Story | Top |
| Magnitude 6.9 quake hits off Russia's Kamchatka Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 06:37 AM PST LONDON (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck near the southern tip of Russia's Kamchatka peninsula, at a depth of around 52 km (33 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported on Thursday. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no threat of a destructive widespread tsunami, based on historical earthquake and tsunami data. Britain's BBC quoted Russia's Emergencies Ministry as saying there were no reports of casualties or damage, and that no tsunami warning had been issued. ... Full Story | Top |
| Putin defends Russia's rights record at talks with France Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 06:36 AM PST MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin defended Russia's human rights record on Thursday after French President Francois Hollande raised concerns during talks in Moscow. "I don't think we had any problems with human rights in 2012," Putin told a joint news conference in the Kremlin. (Reporting By Alexei Anishchuk, Writing by Alissa de Carbonnel, Editing by Timothy Heritage) Full Story | Top |
| Congo rebels clash near Goma after political chief sacked Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 06:23 AM PST  KINSHASA (Reuters) - Heavy fighting broke out between two factions of Congo's M23 rebels near the eastern town of Goma on Thursday after one side said it sent men to arrest a leader of the other who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The M23 military commander said earlier that the M23 political coordinator Jean-Marie Runiga had been sacked, underlining infighting likely to undermine regional efforts to end two decades of conflict in central Africa. The M23 rebellion is the latest uprising in Democratic Republic of Congo's mineral rich eastern borderlands. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hollande least popular French president in 30 years: poll Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 06:18 AM PST  PARIS (Reuters) - Ten months into his mandate, President Francois Hollande scored the worst of any French president since 1981 in the TNS Sofres poll for Le Figaro magazine released on Thursday as he struggles to spur economic growth and create jobs. Socialist voters who propelled Hollande to the presidency in May 2012 are now questioning his government's handling of an economy teetering near recession, a series of industrial layoffs and joblessness at a 15-year high. ... Full Story | Top |
| Tunisian president testifies in probe of politician's murder Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 06:07 AM PST  TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki testified on Thursday before a judge probing the murder of opposition leader Chokri Belaid, as police narrowed their hunt for his killer to an area near the border with Algeria. The shooting of secular politician Belaid by a suspected Islamist radical on February 6 provoked the biggest street protests in Tunisia since the overthrow of strongman Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali two years ago. Secular parties later withdrew their support for Islamist-backed Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, forcing the collapse of his coalition government. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russia, France say Syria must not be allowed to break up Thursday, Feb 28, 2013 06:04 AM PST MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and France agreed on Thursday that Syria must not be allowed to break up but differed on other aspects of the two-year-old conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. "Despite the existing differences in the Russia and French positions (on Syria), we are for keeping Syria an integral, democratic state," Putin told a joint news conference after talks with French President Francois Hollande. (Reporting by Alexei Anishchuk, Writing by Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Timothy Heritage) Full Story | Top |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment