Spurning Gulf Arab pressure, Qatar says foreign policy ‘non-negotiable’
DOHA (Reuters) – Qatar on Monday again dismissed demands by three fellow Gulf Arab states for changes to its foreign policy, calling its independence “non-negotiable” in a further sign that it will continue to aid Islamists such as Egypt’s Muslim Broth…
Inspections highlight safety risks at Bangladesh factories
BERLIN (Reuters) – Initial inspections of Bangladesh garment factories organized after the collapse of the Rana Plaza complex have found safety problems including overloaded ceilings, exposed cables and locked fire escapes, an industry-backed group sai…
Netanyahu, showing seized rockets, says Iran fooling the world
EILAT, Israel (Reuters) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, displaying on Monday what Israel said were seized, Iranian-supplied missiles bound for militants in Gaza, urged the West not to be fooled by Tehran’s diplomacy on its nuclear program.
Bulgarian opposition demands referendum on voting rules
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgarian right-wing activists backed by the opposition GERB party demanded on Monday a referendum to challenge the voting rules in the Balkan country in what has become an increasingly divisive issue in the run up to European vote th…
Peru to extradite suspect in U.S. teen’s disappearance after his 28-year sentence
LIMA (Reuters) – Peru has passed a law to extradite Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot to the United States for questioning about the high-profile disappearance of an American teenager, but not until he finishes a 28-year jail term for murdering a Peruv…
Pro-Kurdish party says nationalist attacks threaten Turkish poll
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A spate of attacks on Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Democracy Party (HDP) is harming its ability to campaign for local elections later this month and threatens the fairness of the outcome, party leaders said on Monday.
Turkish coup trial convicts freed amid political turmoil
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey ordered the release of five men convicted of plotting a coup, days after an ex-military chief was freed in a case that has come to highlight a power struggle between Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and a U.S.-based Islamic cle…
Serbia set to swallow bitter pill after snap election
SMEDEREVO, Serbia (Reuters) – The steel mill in this Danube river town has fed three generations of Milos’s family. But the 17-year veteran believes he will be the last.
Israel open to joint missile defense with Jordan, Egypt
TEL AVIV (Reuters) – A U.S. general proposed on Monday that Israel upgrade its anti-missile systems to include neighboring Jordan and possibly Egypt, and an Israeli official cautiously welcomed the idea.
Dozens of Pakistani children die in drought-stricken region
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Dozens of children have died of malnutrition and other causes in Pakistan’s southern region this year, prompting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to travel to the drought-stricken area to allocate $10 million in emergency aid.
