British spy agency taps cables, shares with NSA: Guardian
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s spy agency GCHQ has tapped fiber-optic cables that carry international phone and internet traffic and is sharing vast quantities of personal information with the U.S. National Security Agency, the Guardian newspaper said on…
Putin warns on arming Syrian rebels as conflict widens
ST PETERSBURG, Russia/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin cautioned the West on Friday against arming Syrian rebel forces, which he said included “terrorist” groups, and warned that a swift exit by President Bashar al-Assad risk…
Lebanese army seals parliament after protests, Syria-linked tension
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Lebanese army sealed off Beirut’s parliamentary district with razor wire and threatened stern action against violence on Friday after a night of unrest stoked by the war in Syria and political paralysis at home.
Turkish court verdict on Ergenekon conspiracy set for August 5
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A Turkish court will announce verdicts on August 5 on nearly 300 defendants accused of plotting to topple the government, defense lawyers said on Friday, ending a five-year trial of a shadowy group allegedly responsible for years o…
Venezuela says suspects held Portuguese man in bunker for 11 months
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan prosecutors have charged a woman and four men in connection with the kidnapping of a Portuguese man who was held captive in an underground bunker for nearly a year before being rescued this week.
Suicide bomb kills at least 13 worshippers in Pakistan
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) – A suicide bombing at a Pakistani religious center killed at least 13 worshippers on Friday, the third major attack to test the new government since the Taliban vowed revenge for a U.S. drone strike that killed its deputy …
Czech coalition partner backs Nemcova as PM candidate
PRAGUE (Reuters) – The junior party in the ruling Czech coalition, TOP09, backed a plan on Friday to nominate parliament speaker Miroslava Nemcova as the new prime minister following the resignation of Petr Necas in a spying and bribery scandal.
Bashir threatens again to stop oil exports from South Sudan
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on Friday threatened again to stop oil flows across its border with arch-rival South Sudan unless the south stops supporting rebels operating across the shared frontier.
Madagascar needs clean start, former PM turned candidate says
PARIS (Reuters) – Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina’s reluctance to give up power has become a serious impediment to the island nation’s progress, his former prime minister turned rival, Monja Roindefo, said on Friday.
Germany, Turkey summon envoys in row over protests, EU
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany and Turkey summoned each other’s ambassadors on Friday for tit-for-tat reproaches in an escalating row over Chancellor Angela Merkel’s criticism of a crackdown on protesters in Turkey and her reluctance to see the country joi…
