White House: no new comment on Merkel spying allegation
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House refused to comment on whether the United States had snooped on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone communications and acknowledged on Thursday that claims of U.S. spying have created tensions with allies.
South Africa’s Implats says AMCU union has green light to call strike
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has been granted permission by a government mediator to call a strike against Impala Platinum, the world’s second largest producer of the precious metal sa…
Sierra Leone charges editors for comparing president to rat
FREETOWN (Reuters) – Sierra Leone has charged two newspaper editors with 26 counts of seditious libel after they published an article comparing President Ernest Bai Koroma to a rat, a senior official said on Thursday, stirring concern over press freedo…
Pirates kidnap two U.S. sailors off Nigerian coast: sources
ABUJA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Pirates attacked an oil supply vessel off the Nigerian coast and kidnapped the captain and chief engineer, both U.S. citizens, American officials said on Thursday as the Nigerian military ordered its Navy to rescue the men….
World boxing champ Klitschko to run for Ukraine president in 2015
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukrainian heavyweight boxer and opposition politician Vitaly Klitschko said on Thursday he would run for president in 2015 and angrily rejected legislation that could disqualify his candidacy because of years he spent training in Germa…
Russia denies head of U.S. exchange program recruiting spies
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia angrily denied U.S. media reports that the Russian director of a cultural exchange program may be recruiting Americans as spies, saying such allegations risked damaging ties between the two countries.
EU may re-impose sanctions on Iran ship line despite court order
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European governments have taken preliminary steps to re-impose sanctions against Iran’s main cargo shipping line, potentially complicating a new diplomatic push to settle the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program.
Myanmar president will not seek second term: party
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar President Thein Sein, who has steered a wave of reforms since the end of military rule, will not be seeking a second term at the next election in 2015, the leader of his party said on Thursday.
Israeli policymakers condemn campaign against securities regulator
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid and other policymakers condemned on Thursday what they called a “smear campaign” against the country’s securities regulator, Shmuel Hauser.
Italian PM says spying by allies unacceptable
ROME (Reuters) – Alleged monitoring of Italian telecommunications by U.S. and British intelligence is “inconceivable and unacceptable”, Prime Minister Enrico Letta said on Thursday.
