Shunned by Egypt, Hamas reaches out to Palestinian rival Abbas
GAZA (Reuters) – Hamas, its Gaza Strip stronghold cut off by the new military-backed government in Egypt, called upon rival Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday to end their six-year schism and form a unity government.
India PM says satisfied with coal block allocations despite inquiry
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is satisfied with the outcome of the process of allocating coal blocks to certain companies, his office said on Saturday as federal police proceed with an investigation into the system.
Turkey rejects EU view of handling of protests, pleased with report
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey on Saturday rejected European Union criticism of its handling of anti-government protests earlier this year, but said a report on its progress towards joining the bloc showed it had come closer to European economic and democ…
Italy court bans Berlusconi from public office for two years
MILAN (Reuters) – A Milan court ruled on Saturday that former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi should be barred from holding public office for two years following a conviction for tax fraud.
Toll from Mali boat accident more than triples to 72 dead
BAMAKO (Reuters) – The death toll from a boat accident in Mali last week has more than tripled to 72 after more bodies were found, the government said on Saturday.
Afghan assembly sets November date for decision on U.S. troops
KABUL (Reuters) – The future of U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014 will be decided by an assembly of tribal elders in late November, its organizers said, setting a date for the verdict on a long-delayed bilateral deal held up by disputes over key pr…
Gunmen kill security officer in south Yemen
ADEN (Reuters) – Two masked gunmen killed a security officer and his bodyguard in southern Yemen late on Friday in what a security official said was a suspected al Qaeda attack.
Chinese university fires outspoken economist amid crackdown on dissent
BEIJING (Reuters) – A liberal Chinese economist who had been an outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party has been expelled from the elite Peking University, amid a broader crackdown on dissent.
China rebukes Dalai Lama for seeking Tibetan independence: state media
BEIJING (Reuters) – A senior Chinese official has denounced the Dalai Lama’s long-standing pursuit of autonomy for Tibet, describing it as equivalent to advocating Tibetan independence, state media said on Saturday.
China sacks mayor of Nanjing city: Xinhua
BEIJING (Reuters) – China has sacked the mayor of the eastern city of Nanjing, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday, the latest move in a nationwide crackdown on graft.
