Assad says Syria will defend itself against aggression
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Thursday that Syria would defend itself against any aggression following reports that the United States and its allies were preparing military action in response to an alleged chemical weapons…
Serbian party threatens snap election if painful reforms blocked
BELGRADE (Reuters) – Serbia’s biggest party threatened its smaller coalition partner on Thursday with a snap election if it keeps up its resistance to painful reforms that the country’s new finance minister has vowed to pursue.
Analysis: Syria, aided by Iran, could strike back at U.S. in cyberspace
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – If the United States attacks Syria, it will be the first time it strikes a country that is capable of waging retaliatory cyberspace attacks on American targets.
France: political solution the ultimate goal for Syria
PARIS (Reuters) – French President Francois Hollande said on Thursday that Syria needed a political solution, but that could only happen if the international community could halt killings like last week’s chemical attack and better support the oppositi…
China asks Philippines’ Aquino to call off visit in apparent snub
MANILA/BEIJING (Reuters) – China has asked Philippine President Benigno Aquino to call off a visit next week for the opening of a trade fair, Manila said on Thursday, in an apparent snub, but Beijing insisted it had never invited him in the first place…
U.N. chemical weapons team to leave Syria by Saturday morning: Ban
VIENNA (Reuters) – United Nations inspectors, in Syria to determine whether forces have used chemical weapons in the civil war, will continue their investigations until Friday and plan to leave by Saturday morning, the U.N. chief said.
Naming and shaming: Macau website targets deadbeat gamblers
Gamblers who skip out on casino debts in Macau risk being branded with these monikers and having personal details made public by a website that says it has helped to recover 50 million yuan ($8 million) so far.
Bulldozer kills girl in China amid land grab dispute: media
BEIJING (Reuters) – A bulldozer killed a four-year-old girl in southeastern China after her family resisted a land grab, a major cause of unrest in the country, Chinese media reported on Thursday, sparking online outrage.
Syrian coalition urges strike on Assad, military support
PARIS (Reuters) – The opposition Syrian National Coalition urged Western powers to launch a punitive strike against Bashar al-Assad’s government quickly and offer real military and political support to stop people being “exterminated”.
U.N. team goes to Damascus suburbs to test poison gas attack sites
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A team of U.N. experts left their Damascus hotel for a third day of on-site investigations into apparent chemical weapons attacks on the outskirts of the capital.
