Life and a death sentence in rebel-held Damascus
(The identity of the correspondent has been withheld for security reasons)
Romanian PM, president at odds over forming new government
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Prime Minister Victor Ponta urged Romania’s president on Monday not to block his attempts to form a new governing coalition as a new standoff loomed between the two bitter rivals, threatening to unnerve investors.
Pistorius trial witness: ‘bloodcurdling screams’ then shots
PRETORIA (Reuters) – The first witness at Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial told the court on Monday she heard “bloodcurdling screams” from a woman followed by shots, a dramatic opening to a case that could see one of global sport’s most admired role model…
Italy’s Grillo handed four-month sentence over rail protest
TURIN, Italy (Reuters) – An Italian court sentenced Beppe Grillo, leader of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, to four months in prison on Monday for entering part of a sealed-off construction site during a protest against a high-speed train line …
China train station attack risks driving ethnic wedge deeper
KUNMING/BEIJING (Reuters) – Police swept a Muslim Uighur district of the Chinese city of Kunming hours after knife-wielding assailants killed 29 people in a crowded station, underscoring the risk of ethnic tension spilling over from the remote Xinjiang…
Romania’s ethnic Hungarians join Ponta government
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania’s ethnic Hungarian opposition party UDMR voted to join the leftist government of Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Monday, and will be given the environment and culture ministry portfolios, party officials said.
Japanese lawmakers call for revision of wartime brothel apology
TOKYO (Reuters) – Nationalist Japanese politicians urged the government on Monday to revise a 1993 apology over Asian women forced to serve in wartime brothels, saying accounts that tens of thousands of women were forcibly recruited were a “total lie”….
Iran cutting sensitive nuclear stocks, much work remains: IAEA
VIENNA (Reuters) – Iran is reducing its most proliferation-prone nuclear stockpile as required by its landmark deal with world powers but much work remains to be done to resolve all concerns about Tehran’s activities, the U.N. atomic watchdog chief sai…
Amid Ukraine crisis, Obama to meet Netanyahu on Mideast peace
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama takes a break from the Ukraine crisis to hold potentially difficult talks on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on U.S. efforts to keep Middle East peace negotiations alive.
Venezuela opposition musters thousands for march despite Carnival holiday
CARACAS (Reuters) – While many Venezuelans went to the beach to enjoy the Carnival holiday, thousands of anti-government demonstrators marched in the capital on Sunday, trying to keep up the momentum from weeks of protests demanding President Nicolas M…
