Brazilian protests fail to disrupt parades, soccer match
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Police used teargas to contain street protests on Saturday in several Brazilian cities, stopping demonstrators from disrupting Independence Day military parades and an international soccer game between Brazil and Australia.
Syrian Christians heed Pope’s call to pray for peace
DAMASCUS (Reuters) – Hundreds of Syrian Christians gathered in Damascus on Saturday to pray for peace and protest against possible U.S. military intervention, responding to a call by Pope Francis for a day of prayer and fasting.
Netanyahu unimpressed by Iranian greetings for Jewish New Year
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday dismissed the significance of reports that the new Iranian president and his foreign minister had both issued greetings to mark the Jewish New Year.
Farmers reach agreement with Colombia to end protest
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s farm leaders agreed on Saturday to end a three-week protest that had turned violent, caused food shortages and put pressure on President Juan Manuel Santos just a few months before he must decide whether to seek a second t…
Italian government hopes to avoid political crisis
CERNOBBIO, Italy (Reuters) – Italian government leaders expressed hope on Saturday that the fragile ruling coalition could avoid a breakdown that would threaten strained finances and risk wrecking the trust won during months of painful austerity.
Egypt’s prosecutor begins probe into political activists: source
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s public prosecutor is looking into legal complaints against a group of prominent democracy and rights activists, a judicial source at the prosecutor’s office said on Saturday, adding to fears of a widening crackdown on dissent….
Congo’s Kabila opens national dialogue boycotted by opposition leader
DAKAR (Reuters) – Congo President Joseph Kabila opened two weeks of national dialogue with opposition parties and civic groups on Saturday, but several senior figures stayed away, accusing him of trying to seek a third term in violation of the constitu…
Obama to give six television news interviews on Monday as Syria vote looms
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama will give interviews on Monday to the three network news anchors, as well as to anchors from PBS, CNN, and Fox, more evidence of a “full court press” strategy ahead of pivotal congressional votes on militar…
France’s Hollande says U.N. Syria report likely released next week
NICE (Reuters) – A U.N. weapons inspectors’ report on chemical arms use in Syria is likely to be handed in at the end of next week, French President Francois Hollande said on Saturday.
Pope, in Syria peace appeal, calls for end to spiral of death
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – A sombre-looking Pope Francis made an impassioned appeal to avert a widening of Syria’s conflict on Saturday, urging world leaders to pull humanity out of a “spiral of sorrow and death”.
