Britain is a more modest military power, new defense chief says
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain should have lower expectations of its military power because government spending cuts mean it will not be able to fight every potential war it faces, the new head of its armed forces said.
Czech president to dissolve parliament on August 28 to trigger snap election
PRAGUE (Reuters) – Czech President Milos Zeman will formally dissolve the lower house of parliament on August 28, his spokeswoman said on Thursday, setting the stage for an early election that could hand power to a leftist, pro-European government.
China says U.N. chemical inspectors should be objective in Syria
BEIJING (Reuters) – China said on Thursday that U.N. chemical weapons experts should be objective and “fully consult” with the Syrian government in their work, after Syria’s opposition accused government forces of using such weapons in an attack on civ…
Russian court rejects opposition leader’s bid to oust election rival
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A Russian court rejected an attempt by opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Thursday to have his main pro-Kremlin rival thrown out of Moscow’s mayoral election race.
China makes big show of Bo trial, but it’s still just theater
BEIJING (Reuters) – With detailed online transcripts carried by China’s version of Twitter, Beijing is making an unprecedented effort to show its people that the trial of ousted politician Bo Xilai is fair and above board, but the court case is little …
Rampant police corruption harms Liberia’s progress: report
WASHINGTON, Aug 22 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Rampant police corruption is impeding Liberia’s development a decade after its 14-year civil war ended, and abuses should be reined in as the United Nations scales back its presence in the West African …
Britain says Zimbabwe vote not credible as Mugabe is sworn in
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain said on Thursday that the re-election of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe could not be deemed credible without an independent investigation into allegations of voting irregularities.
U.N. rights envoy says mob attacked his car in Myanmar
YANGON (Reuters) – A U.N. human rights envoy said a 200-strong mob attacked his car in central Myanmar this week, kicking windows and doors and shouting abuse, as he arrived to investigate Buddhist-led violence against Muslims, but the government said …
EU says to review relations with Zimbabwe after election
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union will review relations with Zimbabwe given its “serious concerns” about the conduct of the southern African state’s election, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Thursday.
Turkey says all ‘red lines’ in Syria have been crossed
BERLIN (Reuters) – Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Thursday “all red lines” had been crossed in Syria and criticized international inaction after the opposition accused Syrian government forces of gassing hundreds in a chemical weapons…
