Putin to Ukraine rebels: postpone secession vote
DONETSK, Ukraine/MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin called on pro-Moscow separatists in Ukraine to postpone a vote on secession just five days before it was to be held, potentially pulling Ukraine back from the brink of violent dismemb…
Sweden Social Democrats will end tax cuts if they win election
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden’s Social Democrats, once known for charging some of the world’s highest taxes, will reverse the country’s recent decline in taxes – but not by too much – if they win the general election in September.
Guatemala sees opium poppies as potential revenue-spinners
LONDON (Reuters) – Guatemala is considering the possibility of earning taxes from the sale of opium poppies to help fund drug prevention programmes and other social spending, the country’s interior minister said on Wednesday.
Bouteflika says militants killed by Algerian troops were foreign
ALGIERS (Reuters) – Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said 10 militants killed by government forces this week included fighters from Libya, Mali and Tunisia, state news reported on Wednesday.
Islamist attack kills 125 in northeast Nigeria
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) – The latest big Islamist attack in Nigeria has killed least 125 people, police said on Wednesday after gunmen rampaged through a town in the northeast, near the Cameroon border.
U.S. calls on China to free Tiananmen anniversary activists
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States urged China to release rights activist Pu Zhiqiang and other rights campaigners detained this week after attending a meeting that called for a probe into the suppression of pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Sq…
Rouhani vows victory over Iran’s hawks as nuclear deadline nears
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed on Wednesday to win the battle with hardliners who are against his policy of detente, as the nuclear talks that they oppose enter a critical phase.
Thai court orders PM to step down, prolongs political crisis
BANGKOK (Reuters) – A Thai court ordered Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down on Wednesday after finding her guilty of abuse of power, prolonging a political crisis that has led to violent protests and brought the economy close to recession….
Rebels evacuated from Homs, cradle of Syrian uprising
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Hundreds of Syrian rebels on Wednesday abandoned their last stronghold in the heart of Homs city, an epicenter of the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad, handing him a symbolic victory weeks before his likely re-election.
Former hostage tells London imam’s U.S. trial about escape in Yemen
NEW YORK (Reuters) – With her Yemeni captor lying on the sand with a gunshot wound, Mary Quin hesitated for only a few seconds.
