Iraqi tribes say Lukoil project must fuel better life
Al-Toraba, BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) – Sheikh Mansour Hamid al-Imara clutches his prayer beads and watches a huge new oil facility nearing completion across the road from his village, hoping that Russian operator Lukoil will offer his poor tribesmen a bett…
Mexico plan to beef up tax revenues nears final Senate approval
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s Senate on Wednesday was close to passing a package of measures to bolster the country’s weak tax revenues, including higher taxes for the rich, levies on sugary drinks and junk food, as well as a charge on stock market …
Uighur leader questions China’s account of Tiananmen attack
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The exiled leader of China’s Uighur ethnic minority community called on Wednesday for an international investigation into an incident in which a car ploughed into pedestrians in Beijing, after Chinese authorities arrested five su…
Israel pushes plans for 3,500 settler homes after prisoners freed
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered officials on Wednesday to press ahead with plans to build 3,500 more homes for Jewish settlers, hours after Israel freed 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of U.S.-brokere…
Murdoch editors must have known of phone hacking, court hears
LONDON (Reuters) – Rebekah Brooks, a former top editor, and Andy Coulson, Prime Minister David Cameron’s ex-media chief, oversaw a system of phone-hacking and illegal payments when they ran Rupert Murdoch’s British tabloids, a London court heard at the…
Israel pushes plans for 3,500 settler homes after prisoners freed
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered officials on Wednesday to press ahead with plans to build 3,500 more homes for Jewish settlers, hours after Israel freed 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of U.S.-brokere…
U.S. spy agency denies that it eavesdropped on Vatican
WASHINGTON/VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The National Security Agency, responsible for U.S. electronic eavesdropping, said on Wednesday that it does not target the Vatican and called an Italian media report that it had done so “not true.”
Merkel envoys at White House to sort out U.S.-German tensions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – American and German officials sought to overcome tension between their governments on Wednesday following reports that the U.S. National Security Agency monitored German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone.
Iraqi PM Maliki struggles to convince U.S. lawmakers to back more aid
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers had tough criticism for Iraq’s government after meeting with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Wednesday, saying they were open to meeting his request for military assistance only if Baghdad made significant changes…
France denies paying ransom as Sahel hostages return
NIAMEY/PARIS (Reuters) – Four Frenchmen held hostage in the Sahara desert by al Qaeda-linked gunmen for three years were reunited with their families on Wednesday, and Paris dismissed media reports it had paid a ransom for their release.
