Wife of China dissident appeals to Obama and Kerry to aid reunion
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The wife of a prominent Chinese dissident appealed to U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday to make a public call for her husband to be allowed to travel to the United States, saying he was in “alarmingly poor health” and needed…
Greece tightens anti-racism rules amid series of attacks
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bill toughening anti-racism laws and making Holocaust denial a criminal act, as it cracks down on a wave of xenophobic attacks that have come amid the country’s worst-ever peace-time financial cris…
Malaysia: Dutch report suggests MH-17 shot down from ground
THE HAGUE/GRABOVO (Reuters) – Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 broke apart over Ukraine due to impact from a large number of fragments, the Dutch Safety Board said on Tuesday, in a report that Malaysia’s prime minister and several experts said suggested i…
Ex-president’s son wounded as Nigeria battles militants
ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigerian ground forces backed by warplanes on Tuesday battled Islamist Boko Haram militants in a second day of heavy fighting around a northeast town, in which the officer son of former president Olusegun Obasanjo was wounded, a senio…
Gun battle in Yemeni capital after soldiers kill four Shi’ites
SANAA (Reuters) – Yemeni soldiers traded gunfire with Shi’ite Muslim rebels near a military base at the southern entrance to the capital Sanaa on Tuesday, residents said, hours after soldiers killed at least four Shi’ite protesters outside the cabinet …
Somali militants threaten U.S. attacks to avenge leader’s death
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Somali Islamist militants have threatened attacks in east Africa and the United States, warning President Barack Obama he would hear “shocking news” as punishment for a U.S. missile strike that killed the rebel group’s leader last…
British PM to head to Scotland as independence campaign gathers steam
EDINBURGH/LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister David Cameron implored Scots on Tuesday not to vote for independence in next week’s referendum after an opinion poll showed a surge in support for a break from the United Kingdom.
Austria freezes assets of former U.S. diplomat’s wife
VIENNA (Reuters) – Former top U.S. diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad and his wife are fighting the seizure of her Austrian bank accounts, lawyers for the couple said after a magazine reported U.S. authorities were investigating him for suspected money launderi…
Poland’s PM Tusk, heading for Brussels, submits resignation
WARSAW (Reuters) – Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk submitted his resignation to the country’s president on Tuesday, in preparation for taking up the new job of head of the European Council later this year.
Hundreds die in India, Pakistan after heaviest rain in 50 years
MUZAFFARABAD/SRINAGAR (Reuters) – The death toll from the heaviest rain to fall on Kashmir in 50 years rose to more than 400 on Tuesday, with thousands still trapped on rooftops and residents criticizing Indian and Pakistani authorities for not doing e…
