Venezuela says Snowden has still not formally responded to asylum offer
MONTEVIDEO (Reuters) – Venezuela has still not received a formal response to its offer of asylum to former U.S. spy contractor Edward Snowden, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua told Reuters on Thursday.
China, Taiwan brace for typhoon as flood toll exceeds 200
BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) – China and Taiwan braced on Friday for the impact of Typhoon Soulik as the toll of dead and missing from torrential rain across a broad swath of China climbed beyond 200.
U.S. lawmakers could ease ‘coup’ ban on aid to Egypt
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. lawmakers will begin to vote as soon as next week on legislation that could continue aid to Egypt even if the Obama administration determines that the ouster of elected President Mohamed Mursi was a military coup, lawmakers …
About 200 prisoners break out of overcrowded Indonesia jail: police
JAKARTA (Reuters) – About 200 prisoners escaped from a maximum security prison in Indonesia’s fourth-largest city, Medan, late on Thursday after a protest over a lack of water and electricity turned violent, a police spokesman said.
Egyptian policeman killed in militant attack in Sinai
CAIRO (Reuters) – One Egyptian policeman was killed and another was badly wounded on Friday by militants who fired rocket-propelled grenades at security checkpoints in the lawless Sinai peninsula, near the border with Israel, security sources said.
Ireland votes to allow limited abortion rights for first time
DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland’s parliament voted on Friday to allow abortion under certain conditions for the first time, following months of polarizing debate in the Catholic country including letters to the premier written in blood.
Anti-Assad rebels say U.S. arms needed, vow to control distribution
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Syria’s opposition said on Thursday that it was concerned U.S. lawmakers had succeeded in holding up U.S. weapons deliveries to rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and repeated assurances the arms will not go to Isla…
Brazil unions try to seize protest momentum with strikes
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of union demonstrators blocked roads and snarled traffic in dozens of Brazilian cities on Thursday in a one-day strike aimed at seizing the momentum of huge protests that swept the country last month.
Ireland parliament votes to allow limited abortion
DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland’s parliament voted on Friday to allow abortion under certain conditions for the first time, after months of polarizing debate in the staunchly Catholic country including letters to the premier written in blood.
Portugal president throws politics into disarray
LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal’s president threw the bailed-out euro zone country into disarray on Thursday after rejecting a plan to heal a government rift, igniting what critics called a “time bomb” by calling for early elections next year.
