Yemen says detains local al Qaeda leader, two soldiers die in raid
ADEN (Reuters) – Yemeni troops detained a local al Qaeda leader in a raid on his hideout in eastern Yemen on Monday, only days after a military operation to foil plans to set up an Islamist state in the area, state news agency Saba said.
Lay preacher turned union boss wages South African class war
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Addressing thousands of stick-wielding striking platinum miners last month, South Africa’s bold new union boss told them proudly that he and his comrades “did not sit in boardrooms.”
Italy local elections give boost to PM Letta
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s battered center-left won the election for mayor of Rome on Monday and appeared set to do well in other cities, giving a lift to Prime Minister Enrico Letta as he strives to control an uneasy coalition with traditional rivals on…
Iceland may not be the haven U.S. leaker hopes
REYKJAVIK (Reuters) – The leaker who revealed top secret U.S. surveillance programs says he hopes to find shelter in Iceland, but he may be disappointed by the reception from a new government seen as less keen than predecessors to attract exiles and In…
Germany’s Merkel snatches rent control issue from rival before election
BERLIN (Reuters) – Chancellor Angela Merkel has stolen a page from the opposition’s campaign playbook ahead of the September election and is now calling for rent controls, a sign she is in a tight fight and does not want to risk upsetting Germany’s 40 …
Kuwaiti court gives woman 11 years in jail for insulting emir
KUWAIT (Reuters) – A Kuwaiti court sentenced a woman teacher to a total of 11 years in jail on Monday for insulting the emir, inciting regime change and insulting a religious sect via Twitter, two sources close to the case said.
Afghan group accuses police of significant violence against women
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan’s human rights commission has accused the police of a significant amount of violence against women, saying it threatened to undermine public trust in the security forces as they prepare to take full charge of the country.
Assad may prevail in Syria’s civil war-Israeli minister
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, backed by Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, may prevail in the more than two-year-old uprising against him, Israel’s intelligence minister said on Monday.
Merkel ally admits mistakes on drones but refuses to step down
BERLIN (Reuters) – German Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere, a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, admitted mistakes on Monday in his handling of a botched deal for reconnaissance drones but said these shortcomings were no reason to resign.
Iranian hardliner drops out of election, narrows field for allies
DUBAI (Reuters) – A conservative former parliament speaker dropped out of the June 14 Iranian presidential election on Monday in a move to consolidate the hardline vote and lessen the chances of an upset favoring a moderate candidate.
