When is a coup not a coup? Obama faces tricky call in Egypt
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Egyptian military’s overthrow of elected President Mohamed Mursi left President Barack Obama grappling with a difficult question of diplomacy and language in dealing with the Arab world’s most populous nation: was it a coup?
Abe urges voters to help end parliamentary deadlock
FUKUSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, riding high in opinion polls on hopes he can revive a stagnant economy, urged voters on Thursday to back his ruling bloc in this month’s upper house election and end a six-year policy dea…
South Korea proposes fresh talks with North over shuttered factories
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea offered to hold talks with North Korea aimed at reopening a jointly run factory park near the armed border between the two countries just three weeks after their last attempt at dialogue faltered amid bickering over protoc…
Brief shooting at Islamist camp in Cairo
CAIRO (Reuters) – There was a brief outbreak of shooting early on Thursday around a gathering near a Cairo mosque of supporters of deposed President Mohamed Mursi, but witnesses said it was not clear that anyone was injured.
Latin America fumes over Bolivia incident in Snowden saga
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Latin American leaders slammed European governments on Wednesday for diverting Bolivian President Evo Morales’ plane on rumors it was carrying a wanted former U.S. spy agency contractor, and announced an emergency summit in a n…
U.N. concerned about Egypt army interference but doesn’t condemn
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed on Wednesday for calm and restraint in Egypt, as well as the preservation of rights such as freedom of expression and assembly, after the country’s army overthrew Islamist President…
Seven severed heads found by highway in central Mexico
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Authorities have found seven severed heads stuffed in plastic bags on the edge of a highway near the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco state prosecutors said on Wednesday.
Ecuador seeks London’s help over embassy bugging
QUITO/LONDON (Reuters) – Ecuador said on Wednesday it would seek the help of the British government to determine who put a hidden microphone in the South American nation’s London embassy, where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is holed up.
Ethnic Koreans in China swap burdensome North for profitable South
BEIJING (Reuters) – When a delegation of North Korean officials visited the head of the Korean business association in China last year asking him to drum up investment in their impoverished country, Jin Rong-guo turned them away.
Obama, Merkel agree to high-level talks on U.S. surveillance program
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama sought to allay concerns from German Chancellor Angela Merkel about reported U.S. spying on European allies on Wednesday, and they agreed to hold a high-level meeting on the subject in coming days.