Iran shakes up foundation controlled by Ayatollah’s business empire
LONDON (Reuters) – A multi-billion dollar organization controlled by Iran’s supreme leader shook up the management of its charity division, appointing as its new chief a man involved in the confiscation of thousands of properties from Iranian citizens….
Retailer fires Latvia chairman for comments on roof collapse
RIGA (Reuters) – Lithuanian retail chain Maxima Group fired the chairman of its Latvian operations on Thursday after he stirred a furor by saying he felt no real sense of responsibility for a supermarket roof collapse in Riga that killed 54 people.
In the Gandhi political bastion, India’s rural poor eye Modi’s promise
SHIVGARH, India (Reuters) – If Sonia Gandhi and her Congress party need evidence that their policies of subsidies and safety nets for India’s poor may no longer be enough to keep their support, they need look no further than her own constituency of Rai…
China military sends air patrols through new defense zone: Xinhua
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China’s military sent several fighter jets and an early warning aircraft on patrol into disputed air space over the East China Sea on Thursday, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported, quoting a spokesman for the People’s L…
Italy PM Letta must confirm new coalition in parliament: president
ROME (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta must ask parliament to confirm its backing of his government after centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party withdrew its support two days ago, the country’s president said on Thursd…
In Vietnam, weary apparatchiks launch quiet revolution
HANOI (Reuters) – The Vietnam of today wasn’t what Le Hieu Dang had hoped for when he joined the Communist Party 40 years ago to liberate and rebuild a country reeling from decades of war and French and U.S. occupation.
Mexico leftists exit pact, may boost case for energy reform
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The head of Mexico’s main leftist party said on Thursday it had pulled out of a cross-party pact on economic reform, which could push the government toward a more radical plan to spur investment in the oil industry wanted by con…
One killed, nine injured in shelling of Russian embassy in Damascus
MOSCOW (Reuters) – One Syrian was killed and nine others were injured during a mortar shelling of the Russian embassy in Damascus, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
Draft Egypt constitution strengthens army as talks drag on
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s new constitution would strengthen the army’s hand and could ban Islamist parties outright, according to a draft published in state media on Thursday, though the drafting body missed a self-imposed deadline for finalizing the t…
SPD tries to overcome grassroots skepticism on Merkel deal
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s Social Democrats began a do-or-die campaign on Thursday to persuade nearly half a million grassroots members, many skeptical about governing with conservative Angela Merkel again, to back their “grand coalition” in a ballot…
