Japan vows quick action, public funds for Fukushima
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan vowed quick, decisive action, including the use of public funds, to tackle the worsening problem of contaminated water pouring from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, as the authorities step in to help the facility’s embattled…
U.S. briefs China on chemical weapons use evidence in Syria
BEIJING (Reuters) – China said on Monday it had been briefed by the United States about evidence on the use of chemical weapons in Syria after U.S. President Barack Obama delayed a military response to last month’s chemical weapons attack near Damascus…
Afghan Taliban target U.S. army base as attacks mount
KABUL (Reuters) – Taliban fighters attacked part of a U.S. military outpost in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar on Monday, officials said, less than a week after targeting a Polish base in a nearby province.
No plan for French lawmaker vote on Syria: senior lawmaker
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s government will not cede to calls from opposition figures to have lawmakers vote on whether to take military action in Syria, the head of parliament’s foreign affairs committee Elisabeth Guigou said on Monday.
Scornful Syria hails ‘historic American retreat’ as Obama hesitates
BEIRUT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Syria hailed a “historic American retreat” on Sunday, mockingly accusing President Barack Obama of hesitation and confusion after he delayed a military response to last month’s chemical weapons attack near Damascus until a…
Mexico Lower House approves final part of divisive education reform
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican lawmakers on Sunday approved the final part of a bill to reform an education sector that badly underperforms global peers, legislation that has prompted thousands of school staff to protest in the streets.
U.S. says its envoy took part in Israeli-Palestinian meeting
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department said on Sunday for the first time that the U.S. envoy for Israeli-Palestinian peace had taken part in a meeting between the two parties since negotiations resumed in late July, but declined to say when o…
Exclusive: USS Nimitz carrier group rerouted for possible help with Syria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and other ships in its strike group are heading west toward the Red Sea to help support a limited U.S. strike on Syria, if needed, defense officials said on Sunday.
Obama and aides confront skeptical Congress on Syria strike
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama and his top aides launched a full-scale political offensive on Sunday to persuade a skeptical Congress to approve a military strike against Syria, but faced a struggle to win over lawmakers from both partie…
Azeri authorities clamp down on dissent ahead of October vote: group
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Azerbaijan has intensified a crackdown on activists and journalists to stifle criticism of long-term leader Ilham Aliyev before presidential elections in October, campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday.
