Dissident Kazakh Ablyazov faces extradition to Ukraine
AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France (Reuters) – Dissident Kazakh oligarch Mukhtar Ablyazov, accused at home of embezzling more than $5 billion, was told by a French judge on Thursday that he faced extradition, but his family vowed to fight an expulsion it said was…
Egypt solution hinges on dignified exit for Mursi
PARIS (Reuters) – European attempts to broker a resolution to Egypt’s bloody political stand-off hinge on finding a way for ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi to step down with dignity in return for a role for his Muslim Brotherhood in the country…
Italy’s top court to issue verdict on Berlusconi fraud appeal
ROME (Reuters) – Five supreme court judges on Thursday considered their verdict in Silvio Berlusconi’s appeal against a tax fraud conviction that could end his 20-year domination of Italian politics and throw the government into turmoil if confirmed.
Over 1,000 Iraqis killed in July, highest monthly toll since 2008: U.N.
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – More than 1,000 Iraqis were killed in sectarian violence in July, the highest monthly death toll since 2008, the United Nations said on Thursday, as Sunni Islamist groups stepped up their insurgency against Iraq’s Shi’ite-led govern…
Spain’s Rajoy says he was wrong to trust treasurer in party funding scandal
MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy apologized on Thursday for mishandling a major corruption scandal, but denied he or his center-right People’s Party accepted illegal payments and rejected opposition calls to step down.
Polish priest’s dismissal exposes rift over dialogue with Jews
JASIENICA, Poland (Reuters) – When the outspoken Polish priest Wojciech Lemanski returned with his parishioners to his church near Warsaw after holding a prayer vigil at the Treblinka Nazi death camp in early July, a dismissal notice awaited him.
Hopes ride on Iran’s Rouhani, but huge task ahead
DUBAI (Reuters) – A wave of optimism has swept Iran since Hassan Rouhani was elected president last month, but as he takes office on Sunday the moderate cleric has a monumental task to resolve the nuclear dispute, ease stringent sanctions and revive a …
Zimbabwe’s Tsvangirai dismisses election as ‘huge farce’
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai dismissed Wednesday’s election as a “huge farce” and said the results were invalid because of intimidation and ballot-rigging by President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party, which is claiming vict…
Suspect in Burgas bombing flew to Lebanon before blast: report
WARSAW (Reuters) – A man suspected of organizing a bus bombing in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Burgas last year flew to Lebanon two days before the attack that killed five Israelis and their driver, Polish news website tvn24.pl reported.
Bahrain king toughens anti-terrorism laws, rights groups cry foul
DUBAI (Reuters) – Bahrain’s King Hamad has toughened penalties in anti-terrorism laws before planned anti-government protests this month, approving proposals that have alarmed human rights groups which fear a crackdown on the demonstrations.
