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| Pope, in candid speech, speaks of 'exodus' from the Church Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 12:26 PM PDT  By Philip Pullella RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Pope Francis, in a stunningly candid assessment of the state of the Catholic Church, said on Saturday it should look in the mirror and ask why so many people are leaving the faith of their fathers. On the penultimate day of his trip to Brazil, Francis delivered a long address to the country's bishops in which he suggested elements of what could become a blueprint for stopping what he called an "exodus. ... Full Story | Top |
| Quebec town mourns victims of fuel-tanker train disaster Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 12:16 PM PDT  By Christinne Muschi LAC-MEGANTIC, Quebec (Reuters) - Hundreds of mourners filled the streets of Lac-Megantic, Quebec, on Saturday, as the families of the 47 people killed in North America's worst railway disaster in two decades attended a memorial service at a local church. A trumpeter on the street played Ave Maria to the mourners as they gathered outside St Agnes church to watch the service on a massive screen. "It's still difficult," said Chantal Guay, a local resident who was among the crowd outside church. "We're all family in Lac-Megantic, everyone knows each other. ... Full Story | Top |
| Seven killed in Florida apartment rampage Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 12:12 PM PDT By Zachary Fagenson MIAMI (Reuters) - A tenant went on a shooting rampage at a Florida apartment building, killing six people before a SWAT team killed him and rescued two neighbors he was holding hostage on Saturday, police said. The hostages were unharmed, police in the Miami suburb of Hialeah said. The standoff began on Friday evening during an argument between the gunman and the husband and wife who ran the apartment complex. Their bodies were among the six found after the SWAT team moved in on Saturday morning, police said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Libya PM to reshuffle cabinet, cut ministries after killings Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 12:08 PM PDT  By Ghaith Shennib and Marie-Louise Gumuchian TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libya's prime minister said he would reshuffle the cabinet and reorganize the government to cope with the "urgent" situation in the country following killings in the eastern city of Benghazi that sparked violent demonstrations. Hundreds took to the streets overnight to denounce the assassination of a prominent political activist and critic of the Muslim Brotherhood, Abdelsalam al-Mosmary, who was shot dead on Friday after leaving a mosque in Benghazi. ... Full Story | Top |
| South Sudan president names Benjamin as new foreign minister Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 12:05 PM PDT  JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has named former Information Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin as the new foreign minister of the African oil producer, the first appointment in a new cabinet after firing the previous lineup. On Tuesday, Kiir sacked his entire cabinet, Vice President Riek Machar and put under investigation his top Sudan negotiator, Pagan Amum, amid a power struggle in the African nation. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egyptian forces kill dozens of supporters of ousted Islamist Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 11:46 AM PDT  By Tom Perry and Shadia Nasralla CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian security forces shot dead dozens of supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi on Saturday, witnesses said, days after the army chief called for a popular mandate to wipe out "violence and terrorism". Men in helmets and black police fatigues fired on crowds gathered before dawn on the fringes of a round-the-clock sit-in near a mosque in northeast Cairo, Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood movement said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Al Shabaab claim attack on Turkish mission in Somalia, three dead Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 11:00 AM PDT  By Feisal Omar and Abdi Sheikh MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A car loaded with explosives rammed into an office housing Turkish embassy staff in the Somali capital, killing three people, witnesses and officials said on Saturday, the latest in a series of blasts claimed by Islamist al Shabaab rebels. Al Shabaab was pushed out of bases in Mogadishu by Somali and African forces about two years ago, raising hopes of a return to relative security in a city hit by years of war. ... Full Story | Top |
| Spanish train crash driver leaves hospital, remains in custody Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 10:35 AM PDT  By Tracy Rucinski and Teresa Medrano SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain (Reuters) - The driver of a Spanish train that derailed at high speed killing 78 people was released from hospital on Saturday, but he remained in police custody ahead of an appearance before a judge to answer questions about what went wrong. Francisco Garzon, 52, was treated for a head injury he sustained in Wednesday's crash. He declined to give a statement to police on Friday. "He ... ... Full Story | Top |
| Syria says rebels killed 123 people in north, majority civilians Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 10:28 AM PDT By Oliver Holmes BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian state media accused insurgents on Saturday of killing 123 people, the majority of them civilians, during a rebel offensive this week to take the northern town of Khan al-Assad. A two-year revolt-turned-civil war has left more than 100,000 people dead and both forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and rebels are accused by rights groups of war crimes. State news agency SANA said that "armed terrorist groups" committed a "massacre ... ... Full Story | Top |
| Death toll in Cairo attack 65: Egypt health ministry Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 10:26 AM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's health ministry said it had registered 65 killed on Saturday in what the Muslim Brotherhood has described as an attack by the security forces on supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in the capital Cairo. Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood says 66 were killed and 61 were left "brain dead" in the attack. Hamdi Mahmoud, director of the health ministry press office, told Reuters that 65 had died, and a further nine were killed in overnight violence in Egypt's second city, Alexandria. (Reporting by Maggie Fickl; Writing by Matt Robinson; Editing by Tom Perry) Full Story | Top |
| Serbian PM threatens to oust finance minister Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 10:25 AM PDT  By Maja Zuvela BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia's prime minister piled pressure on Finance and Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic on Saturday to cede one of his portfolios or face being ousted from the Balkan country's coalition government. "It's crucial to have a division of responsibilities by splitting the ministry of finance and economy if we are serious about pursuing our goal of economic and fiscal consolidation," Prime Minister Ivica Dacic told a news conference. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kuwaitis head to the polls for sixth time since 2006 Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 08:56 AM PDT  By Sylvia Westall KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwaitis voted for the sixth time in seven years on Saturday in a parliamentary election boycotted by the main Islamist and populist opposition, which may help liberals and independents win seats. Turnout was expected to be low in summer temperatures hitting 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and as Kuwaitis become fed up with voting in short-lived parliaments. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bananas thrown at Italy's first black minister Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 08:52 AM PDT By Catherine Hornby ROME (Reuters) - Some of Italy's top politicians on Saturday rallied behind the country's first black minister, a target of racist slurs since her appointment in April, after a spectator threw bananas at her while she was making a speech. Integration Minister Cecile Kyenge, who is originally from Democratic Republic of Congo, was appearing at a political rally in Cervia in central Italy on Friday, when someone in the audience threw bananas towards the stage, narrowly missing it. Kyenge has faced almost daily racial slurs and threats since joining the government. ... Full Story | Top |
| Car bomb hits Turkish staff building in Somali capital, 3 dead: police Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 08:17 AM PDT By Feisal Omar and Abdi Sheikh MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A car loaded with explosives rammed into the gates of an office housing Turkish embassy staff in the Somali capital, killing three people, witnesses and police said on Saturday, the latest in a series of blasts over the past two months. "A suicide car bomb targeted a building housing Turkish embassy workers near k4 (Kilometer Four)," Ahmed Mohamud, police officer told Reuters from the scene of the blast. Mohamud later said the number of dead was three - Somali civilians and a suspected suicide bomber, while nine others had been wounded. ... Full Story | Top |
| Libyans vent anger at Islamists after activist's shooting Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 07:28 AM PDT By Ghaith Shennib and Marie-Louise Gumuchian TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Protesters attacked offices of Libya's Muslim Brotherhood and the headquarters of a liberal coalition on Saturday after demonstrations sparked by assassinations in the eastern city of Benghazi turned violent, witnesses said. Hundreds took to the streets overnight to denounce the killing of a prominent political activist and critic of the Brotherhood, Abdelsalam al-Mosmary, who was shot dead on Friday after leaving a mosque. ... Full Story | Top |
| Police fire tear gas to disperse protesters in Tunis Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 07:26 AM PDT  By Tarek Amara TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian police fired tear gas in front of parliament on Saturday to disperse secular protesters demanding the dissolution of the assembly and Islamists defending the legitimacy of their rule. Police began firing after the arrival of thousands of opposition protesters who had been attending the funeral of the assassinated secular politician Mohamed Brahmi, a Reuters reporter said. Protesters threw stones back at police and there were several injuries. Secular opposition parties are demanding the dissolution of the parliament and the Islamist-led government. ... Full Story | Top |
| Israeli cabinet to weigh prisoner release before Palestinian talks Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 07:13 AM PDT  By Allyn Fisher-Ilan JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet will consider releasing more than 100 Arab prisoners held by Israel in order to boost prospects for talks expected with the Palestinians in Washington next week, Israeli officials said on Saturday. Israel's agreement to free the inmates, held since before a 1993 interim accord with the Palestinians, is seen as critical to U.S. hopes of convening Israeli and Palestinian negotiators to resume peace talks that have been stalled since 2010. ... Full Story | Top |
| Death toll in twin suicide bombing in Pakistan rises to 52 Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 06:58 AM PDT  PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - The death toll from a pair of coordinated suicide bombs targeting Shi'ites in a volatile Pakistani town near the Afghan border rose to 52 overnight, officials said on Saturday, in one of the worst sectarian attacks in the country in months. Tensions between Shi'ite Muslims and Pakistan's majority Sunnis have risen in past years, with radical Sunni Islamist groups frequently attacking Shi'ites whom they see as heretics. ... Full Story | Top |
| Forced to flee war, many Malian refugees to miss vote Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 06:55 AM PDT  By Misha Hussain and Abdoulaye Massalatchi DAKAR/MANGAIZE, Niger (Reuters) - When Talhatou Hallahi Maiga heard that Malian officials had dispatched new ID cards to the desert north in preparation for Sunday's presidential election, he slipped out of a refugee camp in neighboring Niger and went to collect his. "I'm a patriot. I want to vote and that is why I did not hesitate to travel," he said, referring to a 70 km (45-mile) trip by bush taxi from Mangaize in Niger to Menaka, his hometown in northeastern Mali. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hungarian PM urges ethnic kin, scattered by history, to unite Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 06:53 AM PDT  By Christian Lowe and Sandor Peto BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, called on ethnic Hungarians around the world on Saturday to unite to build a strong nation, tapping into nostalgia for a country dismembered when Europe's maps were re-drawn nearly a century ago. Many Hungarians today view the 1920 Treaty of Trianon as a national tragedy because it took away two-thirds of the country's territory and left millions of ethnic Hungarians living in what are now Romania, Slovakia, and Serbia. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. and Syria say chemical arms talks were 'productive' Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 06:51 AM PDT  BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United Nations and Syria said on Saturday that negotiations between Damascus and the U.N. chemical weapons investigator were "productive", but did not say if his team would be allowed to probe allegations that such weapons had been used in the country's civil war. Ake Sellstrom's full team has not been allowed into Syria due to diplomatic wrangling over access. His mission this week was to prepare the ground for an investigation. Sellstrom met Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem, and a joint U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Egypt's Mursi likely to go to same prison as Mubarak: minister Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 05:47 AM PDT  CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's deposed Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, who has been accused of murder and other crimes, is likely to be transferred to the same Cairo prison where former leader Hosni Mubarak is now held, the interior minister said on Saturday. Mohamed Ibrahim also said pro-Mursi sit-ins would "God willing, soon ... be dealt with" based on a decision by the prosecutor, who has been examining legal complaints by citizens about the protests that have blocked major Cairo thoroughfares. ... Full Story | Top |
| New clashes between army and rebels in Sudan's main oil state Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 05:21 AM PDT KHARTOUM (Reuters) - New clashes between the Sudanese army and rebels erupted on Saturday in the country's main oil-producing state of South Kordofan, bordering South Sudan, witnesses and rebels said. The violence is likely to worsen relations between the African neighbors, as Khartoum accuses Juba of supporting insurgents operating on Sudanese soil and using the South's territory as retreat bases. Juba denies this. Residents in Dalang, one of the largest towns in South Kordofan, said they could hear shooting and explosions. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russia demands Interpol explain refusal to track down financier Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 04:44 AM PDT MOSCOW (Reuters) - Interpol must explain why it has rejected Moscow's two requests to put British hedge fund head and anti-corruption campaigner William Browder on its search list, the Russian Interior Ministry said on Saturday. The decision is the latest twist in a long-running battle between the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Browder, whose investment company Hermitage Capital was once the largest investor in Russia's equity market. Russia has sentenced U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| China state media says 18 more detained in GSK probe Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 04:21 AM PDT BEIJING (Reuters) - At least 18 more people have been detained in China in connection with a corruption scandal involving British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline, state media reported, giving more details on an investigation that has rocked the company. China's state radio reported late on Friday on its website that police in the central city of Zhengzhou had "recently held, in accordance with the law, 18 GlaxoSmithKline (China) employees and some medical personnel". It provided no details of the detentions nor say exactly when they happened. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bananas thrown at black Italian minister during speech Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 02:47 AM PDT  ROME (Reuters) - Italy's first black minister, a target of racist slurs since her appointment in April, has condemned a spectator who threw bananas towards her while she was making a speech at a party rally. Integration minister Cecile Kyenge, who was born in Democratic Republic of Congo, has angered far-right groups with her campaign to make it easier for immigrants to gain Italian citizenship. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU's Ashton deplores deaths in Egypt, urges halt to violence Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 02:30 AM PDT  BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton "deeply deplores" deaths during demonstrations in Egypt and urges all sides to halt violence, the EU said on Saturday. "(Ashton) is following with concern the latest developments in Egypt and deeply deplores the loss of life during yesterday's demonstrations ... She also calls on all actors to refrain from violence and to respect the principles of peaceful protest and non-violence," a spokeswoman for Ashton said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Car bomb explodes in Tunis hours before secular politician's funeral Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 01:08 AM PDT TUNIS (Reuters) - A bomb in a police car exploded on Saturday in the Tunisian capital of Tunis hours before the funeral of assassinated secular opposition political Mohamed Brahmi, a spokesman at the Interior Ministry said. There were no casualties from the blast near a police station in the residential La Goulette district, Mohammad Ali Aroui said. The Interior Ministry has accused hardline Islamists of Brahmi's murder. (Reporting by Tarek Amara; Editing by Louise Ireland) Full Story | Top |
| North Korea heralds 60th anniversary of war 'victory' with massive parade Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 12:09 AM PDT  By Se Young Lee and Maxim Duncan PYONGYANG (Reuters) - North Korea celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Korean War truce on Saturday with a massive military parade trumpeting the revolutionary genius of three generations of leaders that gave it "Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War". Leader Kim Jong-un was joined by Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao on the podium overlooking Pyongyang's main Kim Il Sung square to inspect a massive throng of soldiers in goosestep and a display of weapons including its mid-range missiles. ... Full Story | Top |
| China military urges vigilance over Japan's defense plan Saturday, Jul 27, 2013 12:05 AM PDT  BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Defence Ministry on Saturday urged international vigilance of Japan's military plans after it unveiled an interim report calling for strengthened armed forces, including the possible acquisition of the ability to hit enemy bases. Japan's proposal - its latest step away from the constraints of its pacifist constitution - is part of a review of defense policy by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government, which released an interim report on the issue on Friday. Final review conclusions are due by the end of the year. ... Full Story | Top |
| Muslim Brotherhood says more than 70 killed in Cairo attack Friday, Jul 26, 2013 11:39 PM PDT  CAIRO (Reuters) - At least 70 people died on Saturday after security forces attacked supporters of deposed President Mohamed Mursi in Cairo, Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad said, adding the toll could be much higher. Al Jazeera's Egypt television station reported 120 had died and some 4,500 had been injured in the early morning violence on the fringes of a round-the-clock vigil being staged by backers of Mursi near a Cairo mosque. (Reporting by Maggie Fick, Editing by Crispian Balmer) Full Story | Top |
| Insight - Obama and Syria: a trail of half-steps, mixed messages Friday, Jul 26, 2013 10:08 PM PDT  By Matt Spetalnick and Warren Strobel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As the Syrian civil war deepened and anti-government rebels struggled to unify their fractious forces, the White House early last year quietly convened an elite group of senior policymakers to advise President Barack Obama. Their unusual mandate: think outside the box on how to push Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power. ... Full Story | Top |
| Blast kills six, wounds dozens in Philippine southern city Friday, Jul 26, 2013 09:59 PM PDT MANILA (Reuters) - A powerful blast ripped through a crowded popular nightclub in a southern Philippine city late on Friday, killing six people and wounding dozens, police said on Saturday, a reminder of the security challenges despite rising economic growth. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack and an army spokesman said security forces are looking into a potential motive for the attack, including the possible involvement of communist rebels who are active in the area. ... Full Story | Top |
| Muslim Brotherhood says at least 31 killed in Cairo attack Friday, Jul 26, 2013 09:45 PM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - The Muslim Brotherhood said at least 31 people died early Saturday after security forces attacked a protest by supporters of deposed President Mohamed Mursi in Cairo. "They are not shooting to wound, they are shooting to kill," Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad said, adding that demonstrators had been hit by gunshot in the head and chest. The Brotherhood said earlier at least 23 had died in the violence. (Reporting By Maggie Fick; editing by Crispian Balmer) Full Story | Top |
| Muslim Brotherhood says at least 23 killed in Cairo attack Friday, Jul 26, 2013 09:15 PM PDT CAIRO (Reuters) - The Muslim Brotherhood said at least 23 people were killed on Saturday when the security forces attacked a protest by supporters of deposed President Mohamed Mursi in Cairo. "It's 23 confirmed," Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad told Reuters, adding the death toll could be higher still. At least 175 other people had been wounded with gunshot, he added. The toll could not immediately be verified. The casualties had all been taking part in the rally, he added. (Reporting by Tom Perry; Editing by Peter Cooney) Full Story | Top |
| Tunisian dies in violent protests in southern city of Gafsa Friday, Jul 26, 2013 05:55 PM PDT TUNIS (Reuters) - One man was killed on Saturday in violent protests in the southern city of Gafsa, two days after the assassination of a secular opposition figure. It was the first death in protests since demonstrations erupted after the assassination of Mohamed Brahmi on Thursday. There were conflicting eyewitness accounts of how the protester died. Thousands of anti-government protesters also massed in the capital on Friday, while shops and banks closed their doors and all flights in and out of the country were canceled. (Reporting by Tarek Amara; Editing by Eric Beech) Full Story | Top |
| Syria rebels meet U.N. Security Council, urge Russia to end Assad support Friday, Jul 26, 2013 05:54 PM PDT  By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Syrian rebel leaders met with the U.N. Security Council for the first time on Friday to discuss the country's two-year war and appealed to Russia to stop its powerful political and military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government. The 15-member Security Council has been deadlocked on Syria. Russia, an ally and arms supplier of Assad, and China have three times blocked action against Assad supported by the remaining veto powers - the United States, Britain and France. ... Full Story | Top |
| Breaking taboo, Mexico government aims to tax food, medicine Friday, Jul 26, 2013 05:53 PM PDT  By Dave Graham and Miguel Gutierrez MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico plans to boost its tax coffers by an extra $50 billion a year with an overhaul that aims to extend sales tax coverage, close tax loopholes and could impose charges on capital gains. Saddled with one of the weakest tax takes in Latin America, President Enrique Pena Nieto will present Congress with a plan by September to substantially improve revenues, including divisive measures to apply value added tax (VAT) to some foods and medicines, according to several people familiar with the plans. ... Full Story | Top |
| Violence deepens Egypt turmoil, deposed leader probed for murder Friday, Jul 26, 2013 04:55 PM PDT By Asma Alsharif and Matt Robinson CAIRO (Reuters) - At least seven people were killed and hundreds wounded in scattered violence across Egypt during mass rallies for and against the army's overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, who was placed under investigation for murder. With hundreds of thousands taking to the streets on Friday, the new bloodshed deepened the turmoil convulsing the Arab world's most populous country, and could trigger a decisive move by the military against Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. intends to send two Guantanamo detainees to Algeria Friday, Jul 26, 2013 04:38 PM PDT  By Jeff Mason and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration said on Friday it plans to repatriate two inmates to Algeria from the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, resuming the transfer of detainees from the controversial prison for the first time in nearly a year. The step is the latest by President Barack Obama's administration to show his commitment to closing the prison, which has held dozens of prisoners - most without charge - for more than a decade. ... Full Story | Top |
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