U.S., Blackwater defense clash on jury summary of shooting
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. prosecutor and a lawyer for a former Blackwater Worldwide security guard on Wednesday presented a jury with starkly different summaries of a 2007 shooting at a Baghdad traffic circle that sparked international outrage and …
New Brazil poll shows Silva beating Rousseff in runoff
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Environmentalist Marina Silva would handily beat President Dilma Rousseff if Brazil’s October election goes to a runoff, a poll showed on Wednesday, an outcome that seemed unimaginable just a few weeks ago and one that would put an…
India’s Modi eyes breakthrough nuclear pact on Japan trip
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India is hoping to win Japanese backing for a nuclear energy pact during a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and lure investment into its $85 billion market while addressing Japan’s concern about doing business with a nuclear…
Shambolic election campaign leaves Indonesia’s president-elect much to prove
JAKARTA (Reuters) – When he was nominated in March as a candidate for Indonesia’s presidential election, polls showed Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had a 30-point lead over the man who would become his main challenger, former army general Prabowo Subianto. 
Lebanese army shells militant positions in Syria border zone
(Reuters) – BEIRUT, Aug 27 (Reuters) – The Lebanese army shelled militant positions in the border zone with Syria on Wednesday near a town that was seized by Islamist insurgents earlier this month, a security source said.
Brazil’s Silva winning over investors in presidential race
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Investors are warming up to a possible victory by Marina Silva in Brazil’s presidential election as the popular environmentalist emerges as their best shot at avoiding four more years of a government they strongly dislike.
Saudi Arabia jails 23 more men for militancy in security crackdown
RIYADH (Reuters) – A Saudi Arabian court sentenced 23 men to jail terms of up to 22 years for their role in militant attacks, state media said on Wednesday, part of a security crackdown in which scores of people have been imprisoned over the past week….
Gaza truce holding but Israel’s Netanyahu under fire at home
GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – An open-ended ceasefire in the Gaza war held on Wednesday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced strong criticism in Israel over a costly conflict with Palestinian militants in which no clear victor has emerged.
Islamic State executes soldiers, takes hostages at Syria base: social media
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Islamic State militants have executed Syrian army soldiers and are holding a group hostage after capturing an air base in northeast Syria at the weekend, pictures posted on social media by supporters showed on Wednesday.
Saudi princes visit Qatar as Gulf states try to end rift
DUBAI (Reuters) – Three Saudi princes including Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal visited Qatar on Wednesday, state media said, amid efforts to repair a rift within the U.S.-allied Gulf Cooperation Council.
