Japan’s nuclear crisis deepens, China expresses ‘shock’
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s nuclear crisis escalated to its worst level since a massive earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima plant more than two years ago, with the country’s nuclear watchdog saying it feared more storage tanks were leaking cont…
Italy’s Letta says problems threatening government can be overcome
VIENNA (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta said on Wednesday he was confident that problems threatening his fragile coalition government, which is struggling to meet demands from Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right, can be overcome.
Activists say more than 200 killed in gas attack near Damascus
BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) – Syrian activists accused President Bashar al-Assad’s forces of launching a nerve gas attack that killed at least 213 people on Wednesday, in what would, if confirmed, be by far the worst reported use of poison gas in the two-ye…
Arab League chief asks UN to look into report of Syria gas attack
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby called on Wednesday for United Nations inspectors to immediately investigate reports of a chemical attack near the Syrian capital that activists say has killed more than 200 people, Egypt’s…
U.N. inspector says reports of Syria gas attack should be investigated: TT news agency
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – The head of the United Nations chemical weapons inspectors in Syria said on Wednesday reports of a nerve gas attack killing more than 200 people near Damascus should be investigated.
Bomb attacks halt Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline: Iraq officials
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Two bomb attacks halted the flow of crude oil through a pipeline running from Iraq’s Kirkuk oil fields to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan in Turkey, causing severe damage, two Iraqi oil officials said on Wednesday.
Chinese demonstrate for Bo Xilai on the eve of trial
JINAN, China (Reuters) – A handful of supporters of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai protested outside a courthouse in eastern China on Wednesday on the eve of his trial to denounce what they said was politically motivated persecution.
Syria denies reports of chemical weapons use near Damascus: TV
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syria denied reports on Wednesday that chemical weapons had been used in an attack on the eastern suburbs of Damascus which activists said killed more than 200 people.
Egypt Embassy in Bangladesh partly closes after bomb threat
DHAKA (Reuters) – The Egyptian Embassy in Bangladesh closed its consular section until the end of the month on Wednesday after receiving a bomb threat in protest against the killing of supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo, police and embassy o…
Analysis: Succession, health doubts loom over new Mugabe term in Zimbabwe
HARARE (Reuters) – When Zimbabwe’s veteran president Robert Mugabe suavely hosted journalists at State House on the eve of last month’s election, there was only one question that caught him off guard.