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UN says refugees, displaced at two-decade high

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:18:13 +0800

War and other crises drove one person from their home every 4.1 seconds in 2012, the UN's refugee agency said Wednesday, pushing the number of people forcibly displaced to a two-decade high of 45.2 million.

Obama defends U.S. intelligence strategy in wary Berlin

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:14:41 +0800

By Jeff Mason and Noah Barkin BERLIN (Reuters) - President Barack Obama defended U.S. anti-terrorism tactics on a visit to Berlin on Wednesday, telling wary Germans Washington was not spying on the emails of ordinary citizens and promising to step up efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay prison. On the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech, Obama made his first presidential visit to the German capital, a favored destination of U.S. leaders during the Cold War. ...

Obama to revive push for nuclear weapons cuts in Berlin speech

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:16:28 +0800

By Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton BERLIN (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will use a speech on Wednesday to revive proposals for a world without nuclear arms by targeting cuts in deployed nuclear weapons of up to a third below levels achieved in a 2010 treaty with Russia, a senior U.S. official said. In Berlin, where John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan gave Cold War speeches denouncing the division of the city, he will try to move beyond the "New START" treaty that required the United States and Russia to cut stockpiles of deployed nuclear weapons to 1,550 each by 2018. "The U.S. ...

Deadly new coronavirus a "serious risk" in hospitals-Saudi study

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:39:36 +0800

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) - The new Middle East coronavirus that has killed 38 people after emerging late last year is a serious risk in hospitals because it is easily transmitted in healthcare environments, infectious disease experts said on Wednesday. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers said the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)was not only easily transmitted from patient to patient, but also from the transfer of sick patients to other hospitals. ...

Greek coalition signals state TV deal near, to meet again

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:36:17 +0800

By Lefteris Papadimas and Renee Maltezou ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's ruling party leaders have signalled they are moving towards a compromise on the restart of state TV broadcasts and pledged to resolve a political standoff by Thursday. A court ruling on Monday ordered the public broadcaster ERT back on air, but its screens were still black or showing colour bars after Prime Minister Antonis Samaras's surprise decision a week ago to pull the plug at a few hours' notice to save money. ...

Afghan government to shun U.S. talks with Taliban

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:21:35 +0800

By Hamid Shalizi KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Wednesday his government would not join U.S. peace talks with the Taliban and halted negotiations with Washington on a troop pact, underscoring the fragile nature of hopes for a negotiated peace in Afghanistan. The United States and the Taliban have said officials from both sides will meet in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on Thursday, in a step forward for a stuttering peace process after 12 years `,of bloody and costly war between U.S.-led forces and the insurgents. ...

Brazil protests proceed as smaller cities join the fray

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:18:42 +0800

By Asher Levine and Tatiana Ramil SAO PAULO/FORTALEZA (Reuters) - Protesters blocked roads in Sao Paulo and marched toward a stadium hosting a major international soccer game in Brazil's northeast on Wednesday in a growing wave of nationwide demonstrations against poor public services, inflation and other woes in Latin America's biggest country. After more than a week, the biggest series of protests to sweep Brazil in more than two decades continued in major capitals and moved into smaller cities. ...

Iran says appeals for "jihad" in Syria fuel radicalism

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:16:19 +0800

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Calls by Sunni Muslim clerics for a holy war against the Syrian government and its Shi'ite allies are fuelling radicalism in the region, a senior Iranian official said on Wednesday. Earlier this month, prominent cleric Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi called for jihad in Syria after fighters from Shi'ite Lebanese group Hezbollah intervened to help President Bashar al-Assad, in a move which stoked sectarian tensions. ...

ANALYSIS - Putin basks in isolation over Syria as Obama's charm falls flat

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:12:52 +0800

By Guy Faulconbridge and Timothy Heritage ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland/MOSCOW (Reuters) - At the end of a tense two-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama - slumped over and serious - tried to lighten the mood with a joke about their favourite sports. "And finally, we compared notes on President Putin's expertise in judo and my declining skills in basketball," the U.S. president told reporters at the G8 summit, after the two men gave formal statements emphasising their common ground rather than their sharp differences on how to end the Syrian crisis. ...

North Korea ready to return to nuclear talks: China

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:10:08 +0800

North Korea expressed willingness Wednesday to rejoin long-stalled nuclear talks, according to its ally China, but the United States, Japan and South Korea called for action instead of words.

Dolce and Gabbana sentenced to jail for tax dodge

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:05:13 +0800

An Italian court on Wednesday sentenced celebrated fashion house duo Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana to one year and eight months in prison for avoiding taxes totalling 200 million euros ($268 million).

Nine killed as Shebab attack UN base in Mogadishu

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:54:57 +0800

Somalia's Al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents shot and blasted their way into the UN compound in Mogadishu on Wednesday, leaving nine people dead in the most serious attack on the United Nations in the troubled country in recent years.

Fierce clashes in Damascus district: NGO

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:11:16 +0800

Syrian troops and rebels were locked in fierce clashes on Wednesday night outside the Damascus district of Qabun as the army tried to storm the area, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Thousands stage new protests in Bulgaria despite PM's apology

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:08:17 +0800

Thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets for a sixth straight day of protests on Wednesday, demanding the resignation of new Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski despite his apology over a political blunder.

Cheers, sobriety meet Obama call to action in Berlin

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 02:01:56 +0800

Under a blazing sun and waving German and US flags, a crowd in Berlin cheered a call by US President Barack Obama on Wednesday for more transatlantic cooperation, but with a whiff of disappointment in recent American leadership.

Iraqi Shi'ites flock to Assad's side as sectarian split widens

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:57:16 +0800

By Suadad al-Salhy BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Among the Iranian pilgrims, foreign executives and tourists in the departure lounge at Baghdad airport, a group of young Iraqis prepare to wage religious war in Syria - not for the rebels trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad but against them. Dressed in jeans, their hair cropped short, the 12 men awaiting their flight are Iraqi Shi'ites, among hundreds heading for what they see as a struggle to defend fellow Syrian Shi'ites and their holy sites from the mainly Sunni Muslim rebels. ...

Singapore's air turns "hazardous" as Indonesian fires rage

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:50:25 +0800

By Kevin Lim and Eveline Danubrata SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's air quality deteriorated to "hazardous" levels late on Wednesday as smoke from slash-and-burn land clearing in Indonesia enveloped the city-state, inflaming tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbours. Singapore, a major financial centre, will send a delegation to Jakarta on Thursday to discuss the smog that has turned its usually clear skies grey, Environment Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told a news conference. ...

Singapore in smog alarm as Indonesia forest fires rage

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:32:06 +0800

Smog levels in Singapore hit a record high on Wednesday as smoke from raging forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia triggered a major health alarm and sent residents of the densely populated city-state scrambling for face masks.

France hit by weather chaos, floods claim two victims

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:23:04 +0800

Flash floods in southwestern France claimed two elderly victims in the space of 24 hours as unseasonal storms caused havoc across huge swaths of the country on Wednesday.

Iceland holds 'informal' talks over possible Snowden asylum

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:16:11 +0800

Iceland said Wednesday it has held informal talks with an intermediary of US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden who reportedly may want to seek political asylum there.

Obama challenges Russia to agree to deeper nuclear weapon cuts

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:11:05 +0800

By Roberta Rampton and Stephen Brown BERLIN (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama used a speech in Berlin on Wednesday to call on Russia to revive the push for a world without nuclear arms by agreeing to target further reductions of up to one third of deployed nuclear weapons. Speaking in Berlin where John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan gave rousing Cold War speeches, Obama urged Russia to help build on the "New START" treaty that requires both countries to cut stockpiles of deployed nuclear weapons to 1,550 each by 2018. ...

New clashes in Brazil as security forces deployed

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:10:23 +0800

Fresh clashes erupted Wednesday in Brazil between police and protesters outraged over mass spending for next year's World Cup, as the government deployed elite forces to quell the unrest.

India, Nepal monsoon floods leave 160 dead

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:57:11 +0800

Military helicopters dropped emergency supplies Wednesday to thousands of people stranded by flash floods that tore through towns and temples in northern India and neighbouring Nepal, killing more than 160, officials said.