Australia’s opposition rules out power-sharing post election
CANBERRA (Reuters) – Australia’s opposition, tipped to sweep looming elections, on Wednesday ruled out power-sharing with minor parties and independents in a promise aimed at closing off three years of minority rule that have shaken voters and business…
Japan PM Abe may make offering to shrine for war dead: reports
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may make a ritual offering to a shrine seen as a symbol of Japan’s former militarism, media said on Wednesday — a move likely to anger China and place at risk tentative diplomatic overtures by Tokyo…
Insight: After disaster, the deadliest part of Japan’s nuclear clean-up
TOKYO (Reuters) – The operator of Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is preparing to remove 400 tons of highly irradiated spent fuel from a damaged reactor building, a dangerous operation that has never been attempted before on this scale.
Kerry works to prevent settlement dispute from harming Mideast talks
BRASILIA (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sought on Tuesday to prevent the fracturing of his Middle East peace initiative, which faces its greatest threat to date from a series of Israeli announcements of new settlements in the West Bank …
Panama likely to release crew of detained ship to North Korea: official
PANAMA CITY (Reuters) – Panama likely will return the 35-member crew of a North Korean ship detained for smuggling Cuban weapons under 10,000 tons of sugar to their native country in about a month, a government official familiar with the incident said …
Mexico to fight release of drug lord behind U.S. agent’s murder
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico said on Tuesday it would seek to void a court decision that freed a Mexican drug boss imprisoned for ordering the 1985 torture and murder of a U.S. drug enforcement agent, a ruling that has angered the United States.
Talks resume as Israel frees Palestinians, pursues settlements
JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Israel freed 26 Palestinian prisoners on Wednesday to keep U.S.-sponsored peacemaking on course for a second round of talks, but diplomacy remained dogged by Israeli plans for more Jewish homes on land the Pale…
U.N. says still negotiating with Syria on chemical weapons inquiry
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – U.N. experts are ready to visit Syria to investigate claims of chemical weapons use during the country’s two-year civil war, but a deal has not yet been reached with the Syrian government on safety assurances, the United Nati…
Bahrain tightens security ahead of planned protests
MANAMA (Reuters) – Bahrain has tightened security around restive Shi’ite Muslim villages in an effort to block anti-government protests planned for Wednesday by activists pressing the Sunni Muslim ruling family to allow democracy.
Pro-Mursi protester shot dead as Egypt standoff intensifies
CAIRO (Reuters) – One Muslim Brotherhood member was shot dead and at least 11 people wounded in Egypt on Tuesday, security sources said, with the Islamist group accusing plain clothes police of firing on their march.
