Turkey tests undersea rail tunnel linking Asia with Europe
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey has successfully completed a trial run of a rail tunnel under the Bosphorus connecting Istanbul’s European and Asian sides, the first of several planned mega projects in the country’s largest city to see the light of day.
Dozens dead, stranded after flash floods in Afghanistan, Pakistan
KABUL (Reuters) – Flash floods caused by unusually heavy rain across Afghanistan and Pakistan killed more than 160 people and stranded villagers in remote areas without shelter, food or power in one of South Asia’s worst natural disasters this year, of…
Bomb wounds train passengers as Pakistan goes on high alert
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistani police scoured hills surrounding the capital Islamabad and sent additional units to protect key installations on Monday amid tightened security ahead of a major Muslim holiday and after a bomb wounded 14 people on a trai…
Syria’s Assad says war is the only way to crush terrorism
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said crushing “terrorists” must come before any political solution to end the crisis in his country, dimming hopes of an international peace conference any time soon.
Exclusive: Japan nuclear body says radioactive water at Fukushima an ’emergency’
TOKYO (Reuters) – Highly radioactive water seeping into the ocean from Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant is creating an “emergency” that the operator is struggling to contain, an official from the country’s nuclear watchdog said on Monday.
Clashes between Nigerian army, Boko Haram kill 35
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) – At least 35 people have been killed in two separate gun battles between Nigerian security forces and Islamist sect Boko Haram in northeast Borno state, the army said on Monday.
History weighs heavy with Egypt’s generals in charge
CAIRO (Reuters) – Nubar Keropian was in his late teens when the Egyptian army last took power by force of arms, overthrowing King Farouk and casting him off from Alexandria to exile and an early death in Italy.
Tunisian police fire in air to disperse protests in southern town
TUNIS (Reuters) – Police shot into the air and fired teargas on Monday to break up demonstrators protesting against Tunisia’s Islamist-led government in the southern town of Sidi Bouzid, birthplace of the country’s 2011 revolution.
Retired Turkish army commander jailed for life over conspiracy
SILIVRI, Turkey (Reuters) – A Turkish court sentenced retired military chief of staff General Ilker Basbug to life in jail on Monday for his role in the “Ergenekon” conspiracy to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.
From Indian PM a well-worn plea, and from lawmakers a familiar rejoinder
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Standing outside India’s parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed to opposition parties to allow the legislature to function without disruption so that it could pass key bills.
