Inspectors press Syria on chemical arms ‘discrepancies’: envoys
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Inspectors overseeing the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal have asked President Bashar al-Assad’s government to clarify disparities in its original declaration on its cache of toxic gas, diplomats said on Wedne…
Syria says turnout in election was 73 percent
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syria’s constitutional court said on Wednesday turnout for the presidential election, widely expected to deliver a sweeping victory for Bashar al-Assad, was 73.4 percent.
NATO extends Somali counter-piracy mission to 2016
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – NATO has decided to extend its Indian Ocean counter-piracy mission by two years to the end of 2016, judging that piracy remains a threat despite a sharp fall in attacks, the alliance said on Wednesday.
Swiss say working with Egypt, Ukraine to recover stolen assets
GENEVA (Reuters) – Switzerland is working hard to prevent ill-gotten assets of corrupt leaders from reaching Swiss bank coffers and an international clampdown on tax evasion could help the campaign, a senior Swiss foreign ministry official said on Wedn…
Sarkozy allies urge him to return, lead divided opposition
PARIS (Reuters) – Allies of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy lined up on Wednesday to call for his return to head an opposition UMP party beset by crisis, setting the stage for a comeback that could propel him to a re-election bid in 2017.
NATO to keep around 12,000 troops in Afghanistan next year: U.S. official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A NATO-led training mission in Afghanistan next year is likely to total about 12,000 soldiers, including about 8,000 Americans, while some 1,800 Americans will conduct counter-terrorism missions, a senior U.S. military official s…
Defeated Colombian leftist calls on voters to back Santos
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Leftist politician Clara Lopez, who was defeated in the first round of Colombia’s presidential elections, has called on her supporters to back incumbent Juan Manuel Santos in the June 15 runoff vote to keep the country’s peace proces…
Speed, driver’s actions caused Spanish train disaster: ministry
MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s worst train disaster in decades, which killed 79 people last year, was caused by excessive speed and the driver’s failure to brake in time, according to a report by the country’s Public Works Ministry.
Gunmen kill Red Cross official in Libya, fire grenade at PM’s office
TRIPOLI/BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) – Gunmen in Libya shot dead a Swiss national working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), fired a grenade at the prime minister’s office and tried to kill a renegade general in a series of attacks o…
Kerry says Lebanon needs president to meet security challenge
BEIRUT (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Lebanon’s politicians on Wednesday to overcome their “deeply troubling” stalemate and elect a new president to help respond to the damaging fallout of civil war in neighbouring Syria.
