Syria’s Assad says he certain to defeat rebels
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Thursday he was confident of victory against rebels and made a symbolic visit to a town once overrun by insurgents and now mostly retaken by his army.
Kerry hopes Pakistan drone strikes to end ‘very soon’
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told Pakistanis on Thursday he hoped U.S. drone strikes in their nation would end “very, very soon,” a message meant to ease anti-American resentment in the strategic country.
Snowden will ‘build a new life in Russia’: lawyer
MOSCOW (Reuters) – U.S. fugitive Edward Snowden will publish no more leaks but instead look to build a life in Russia where he has been granted a year-long asylum, his lawyer said on Thursday.
Berlusconi says tax fraud sentence completely unfounded
ROME (Reuters) – Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said a prison sentence against him for tax fraud confirmed by the country’s supreme court on Thursday was completely unfounded and that he would push for reforms of the justice system.
EU says Zimbabwe poll peaceful, withholds judgment on fairness
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union, which has eased sanctions on Zimbabwe to encourage reforms, praised Zimbabweans on Thursday for turning out in large numbers to vote peacefully but said it was too early to assess the election’s fairness.
Insurer QBE sets aside immediate needs payouts for Spain train victims
MADRID (Reuters) – Australian insurance group QBE said on Thursday it had set aside 2.75 million euros ($3.64 million) for the immediate needs of those affected by last week’s train crash in Galicia in northwest Spain, which left 79 people dead.
Berlusconi ally says court sentence will not hurt government
ROME (Reuters) – A decision by Italy’s supreme court to uphold a jail sentence against Silvio Berlusconi for tax fraud will not have repercussions for the government, an ally of the former prime minister said on Thursday.
Italy president, after Berlusconi ruling, says cohesion crucial
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s president Giorgio Napolitano, speaking after a Rome court confirmed a prison sentence against former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, urged the country to maintain its calm.
Germany’s Kohl sought to repatriate Turks 30 years ago: report
BERLIN (Reuters) – Former Chancellor Helmut Kohl discussed a secret plan with Margaret Thatcher in 1982 to reduce the number of Turks living in West Germany by 50 percent, according to recently released British documents cited by Spiegel Online in Germ…
Moroccans to protest royal pardon for Spanish paedophile
RABAT (Reuters) – Moroccans outraged by a royal pardon for a Spanish pedophile serving a 30-year sentence for raping 11 children in the North African kingdom are planning a protest in Rabat on Friday.
