Balkan tycoon, once seen as untouchable, stands trial in Serbia
BELGRADE (Reuters) – One of the Balkans’ richest men went on trial on Thursday in a high-profile case that the Serbian government says marks a long-overdue drive to end more than two decades of lawlessness.
Putin calls Assad to discuss Syrian peace moves
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the conflict in Syria with President Bashar al-Assad by phone in their first talks in more than two years, praising his readiness to send delegates to peace talks and destroy chemical arms, …
Pussy Riot member calls for Sochi Olympic boycott
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A member of the Pussy Riot punk band has called for a boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi to oppose what she called a campaign of “tightening the screws” against opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Pope’s anti-mafia stance stokes tensions, prosecutor says
ROME (Reuters) – Pope Francis’s anti-mafia rhetoric and financial reforms at the Vatican are stoking tension between the mob and the Church, an Italian prosecutor said in an interview with Reuters.
EU to re-impose Iran sanctions quashed by court
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union will re-impose asset freezes on several Iranian companies, annulled this year by court order, even as world powers appear close to a breakthrough deal with Tehran over its contested nuclear program.
President and pope urge Italy’s politicians to tackle crisis
ROME (Reuters) – Italian President Giorgio Napolitano warned on Thursday of a “poisoned and unstable” climate in Italy as he joined Pope Francis in urging an end to deadlock in efforts to resolve the most serious economic crisis since World War Two.
On war anniversary, Hamas holds major military rally
GAZA (Reuters) – The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas looked to project an image of strength in Gaza on Thursday, organizing one of its largest ever military parades to mark the first anniversary of an eight-day conflict with Israel.
Court rejects Polish request to keep CIA jail hearing private
PRAGUE (Reuters) – The European Court of Human Rights has rejected a request from the Polish government to exclude the press and public from a hearing next month into whether Poland hosted a secret CIA jail on its soil, the court said on Thursday.
Exclusive: Assad allies profit from Syria’s lucrative food trade
LONDON (Reuters) – As food begins to flow into Bashar al-Assad’s Syria after several months of disruption, some of the president’s close allies stand to make substantial profits from the secretive trade, according to trade and opposition sources with k…
France studies giving more counter-terrorism aid to Libya
RABAT (Reuters) – French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Thursday France was considering giving Libya more aid in counter-terrorism, including training more police.
