South African gold miners’ union offers some compromise as strike bites
WESTONARIA, South Africa (Reuters) – A strike for higher pay hit production at most of South Africa’s gold mines on Wednesday, but the main union behind the stoppage said it was willing to relax some of its demands .
Indian lawmakers pass pension overhaul, foreign investors wary
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s lower house of parliament approved changes aimed at luring foreign asset managers to run retirement funds, a small victory in government efforts to rescue the economy before elections next year.
Obama says Syria puts international community’s credibility on line
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – President Barack Obama said on Wednesday the credibility of the U.S. Congress was on the line in the need to uphold a ban on chemical weapons and to respond to Syria’s chemical weapons attack.
British Labour leader suffers funding setback before 2015 election
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband suffered a double blow on Wednesday when one of his party’s biggest donors slashed its funding and an opinion poll exposed serious doubts over his authority.
Iran’s Rouhani to speak at yearly U.N. session in New York
DUBAI (Reuters) – President Hassan Rouhani will attend the yearly United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month, Iranian media reported on Wednesday, an event his predecessor used to make incendiary statements on the world stage.
Philippines says China expanding territory before code takes effect
MANILA (Reuters) – China’s planned occupation of a disputed shoal in the South China Sea is aimed at expanding its territory ahead of a regional agreement governing maritime rules, the Philippines’ top diplomat said on Wednesday.
China silent on demand for disclosure on birth control fines: lawyer
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s local governments have failed to account for the use of more than 16.5 billion yuan ($2.7 billion) in fines paid by families flouting strict family planning rules, a lawyer who has joined the call for public disclosure said …
UK’s Cameron: Syria will use chemical weapons again without U.S. strike
LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday he believed the Syrian government would use chemical weapons against its own people again if the United States stepped back from taking military action against it.
British soldier fired at twitching bodies in Iraq, ex-private testifies
LONDON (Reuters) – A British soldier saw his platoon sergeant fire automatic rifle rounds into the twitching bodies of two Iraqi gunmen lying on the ground during a battle in 2004, he said in a written witness statement released on Wednesday.
Turkish envoy to return to Egypt after post-Mursi recall
ANKARA/CAIRO (Reuters) – Turkey’s envoy to Egypt, recalled last month after a crackdown on supporters of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Mursi, was returning to Cairo on Wednesday, but Egypt said it would not reciprocate until Turkey stopped its “in…
