Hezbollah leader defends Syria intervention
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday called for domestic support for his militants after a year of growing sectarian violence in Lebanon following the Shi’ite militant group’s intervention in the Syrian war.
China unveils anti-graft rules for urbanization drive -state media
BEIJING (Reuters) – China has unveiled plans to tackle corruption and abuse of power in the real estate sector, state media said, as it tries to smooth the way for the mass migration of millions of Chinese into cities from the countryside.
Egypt court sentences two Mursi supporters to death
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Reuters) – An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced two supporters of former president Mohamed Mursi to death for murder during violence that broke out in Alexandria last year after the army deposed the Islamist head of state.
Slovak voters turn out for cliffhanger presidential vote
BRATISLAVA (Reuters) – Slovak voters turned out in unexpectedly higher numbers on Saturday for the runoff in the country’s presidential election where an underdog philanthropist is challenging political heavyweight Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Turkey begins espionage investigation after Syria leak
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey has started an espionage investigation after a discussion between top officials on potential military action in Syria was leaked on YouTube, heralding a possible government crackdown on its political opponents after elections …
Thai protesters rally against PM ahead of Senate vote
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of Thai anti-government protesters rallied across Bangkok on Saturday in their latest bid to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, a day before a crucial vote to elect a new Senate.
Chinese ships search new area for Malaysian plane
SYDNEY/PERTH (Reuters) – Chinese ships trawled a new area in the Indian Ocean for a missing Malaysian passenger jet on Saturday, as the search for Flight MH370 entered its fourth week amid a series of false dawns over sightings of debris.
Loyalty to embattled Erdogan lies deep in Turkey’s pious heartlands
KONYA, Turkey (Reuters) – If Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is fighting the toughest battle of his political career as corruption allegations swirl and elections approach, Turkey’s conservative Anatolian heartlands appear to have his back.
Top U.S. general to visit Israel amid strategy differences
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The United States’ top military officer will visit Israel next week where he will meet the defense minister who has angered Washington by criticizing its strategies in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Taiwan protest over China trade pact won’t deter any Ma-Xi meeting
TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou said on Saturday student protests over a controversial trade pact with mainland China will not affect the potential for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
