Egypt interim PM backs army chief for president
DAVOS (Reuters) – Egyptian interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi said on Thursday he backed General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for president, one of the highest-level endorsements for a widely expected presidential bid by the army chief.
Rights group says Muslims massacred in Myanmar amid official denials
YANGON (Reuters) – Security forces in western Myanmar massacred at least 40 Rohingya Muslims last week, including women and children, a human rights group said on Thursday, quoting witness accounts, despite official denials of the killings.
Berlusconi faces new investigation in prostitution case
MILAN (Reuters) – Milan prosecutors have opened a new investigation against Silvio Berlusconi over accusations he corrupted witnesses in a trial in which he was convicted of paying for sex with a minor.
Analysis: Hardest yet to come for France’s Hollande on reforms
PARIS (Reuters) – French President Francois Hollande has won cautious backing from Berlin, Brussels and financial markets for a centrist reform push that could be his last chance to get the euro zone’s second largest economy motoring.
Australia’s Abbott vows to promote free trade as G20 chair
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott vowed on Thursday to use his country’s presidency of the G20 this year to promote free trade, and called on the group of leading economies to undo protectionist measures.
Infighting hits German anti-euro party before EU election
BERLIN (Reuters) – Stefan Soppe says he quit Germany’s new anti-euro party months after joining because he was outraged at its shift towards right-wing populism and by the autocratic style of its leaders.
Russian court orders release of ex-aide to Khodorkovksy
MOSCOW (Reuters) – The former business partner of Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky will be released from prison on Friday under a ruling by Russia’s Supreme Court that reduced his sentence.
Chinese official sentenced to death on graft charges: Xinhua
BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese municipal official was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve for accepting more than $1 million in bribes, the official news agency reported on Thursday, highlighting the government’s efforts to crackdown on graft.
Thai court defers election date ruling, capital calm
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand’s Constitutional Court on Thursday deferred a ruling on whether a general election scheduled for February 2 can be postponed, as protesters who say they will boycott the vote kept up pressure on the government to step down….
Hare in Mandela’s ear leaves South African government hopping mad
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s government is up in arms over a bronze rabbit crafted inside the ear of a large statue of former president Nelson Mandela unveiled last month.
