Syria prompts Europe to question U.S. leadership will
PARIS (Reuters) – The United States’ uncertainty over how to respond to a deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria has left close European allies wondering whether Washington remains ready to play the world leadership role it has long assumed.
Assad air force back in action in Damascus, hitting rebels
AMMAN (Reuters) – Syrian warplanes bombed rebel suburbs of Damascus on Tuesday for the first time in three weeks, in an offensive that opposition activists said showed President Bashar al-Assad no longer feared attack by the United States.
Turkish police fire teargas to disperse Istanbul protesters
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish police fired rounds of teargas to disperse a crowd of several hundred demonstrators rallying in central Istanbul on Tuesday against the death of a protester in the southern province of Hatay earlier in the day, witnesses sa…
Defector blames Syria for ‘cold murder’ after March chemical attack
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A Syrian forensic expert who defected to Turkey last month said on Tuesday he had documents confirming President Bashar al-Assad’s government had used chemical weapons near Aleppo in March, and called their use “cold murder”.
Mugabe appoints ZANU-PF lawyer as Zimbabwe finance minister
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe named a new cabinet on Tuesday after his disputed re-election in July, handing the finance ministry to a combative political lieutenant with little experience in running a treasury.
Impromptu or scripted, Syria plan lets Russia play the peacemaker
MOSCOW (Reuters) – If it really was just an offhand remark by the U.S. Secretary of State that gave Russia the chance to play peacemaker in the Syrian conflict, Moscow is certainly not letting on.
Britain warns EU against trying to control its defense industry
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain warned the European Commission on Tuesday that it would oppose any moves to enforce new rules on the region’s defense industry that impinged on the competitiveness of British companies.
Kerry to discuss Syria chemical weapons plan with Russia’s Lavrov Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will discuss Moscow’s proposal for removing Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov again on Tuesday afternoon, Kerry told a congressional hearing.
U.S. says strikes on Syria unlikely to increase refugee flows to Jordan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Proposed U.S. strikes on Syria over its alleged use of chemical weapons should not increase refugee flows to neighboring Jordan, which is already under tremendous strain, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Tuesday.
Russia not keen on U.N. Syria resolution: France’s Fabius
PARIS (Reuters) – Russia is not keen at this stage for a binding U.N. Security Council resolution that would provide a framework to control Syria’s chemical weapons’ stocks, France’s foreign minister said after talks with his Russian counterpart on Tue…
