Iraq says proxy war over Syria threatens its neutrality
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq is being buffeted by both sides in the civil war raging across its border in Syria and Baghdad’s official policy of neutrality is at risk as the conflict spirals into a region-wide proxy war, its foreign minister said.
U.S. cites Russia, China among worst in human trafficking: report
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – An annual U.S. State Department report on Wednesday cited Russia and China among the world’s worst offenders in fighting forced labor and sex trafficking, which could lead to U.S. sanctions, prompting angry rebuttals from Moscow …
German insurance claims for flood damage may be nearly $8 billion: AIR
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Insurance claims for flood damage in Germany may be as much as 6 billion euros ($8 billion), catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide said on Thursday, after the worst flooding in a decade.
Insight: Chinese whispers: Who wants to bet on the ‘Nicaragua Canal’?
MANAGUA/PANAMA CITY (Reuters) – For centuries since the colonization of the New World, entrepreneurs have dreamed of building a canal spanning Nicaragua to make it easier to tap Asia’s riches.
Syria’s warring sides trade wheat for flour
IDLIB PROVINCE, Syria (Reuters) – Away from the battlefield, some Syrian rebels are doing business with the same government they are trying to topple.
India sets up elaborate system to tap phone calls, e-mail
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India has launched a wide-ranging surveillance program that will give its security agencies and even income tax officials the ability to tap directly into e-mails and phone calls without oversight by courts or parliament, several …
Turkish government, protesters seek to draw sting from unrest
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey’s deputy prime minister said on Wednesday he had no objection to silent anti-government protests inspired by a symbolic “Standing Man” vigil, comments that could help draw the sting out of three weeks of often violent demons…
China jails 19 Uighurs for religious extremism
BEIJING (Reuters) – Courts in China’s far western region of Xinjiang have sentenced 19 ethnic Uighurs to up to six years in jail for promoting racial hatred and religious extremism online, in the latest crackdown on what China sees as violent separatis…
Sao Paulo, Rio revoke transport fare hikes as protests continue
SAO PAULO/FORTALEZA, Brazil (Reuters) – Brazil’s two biggest cities agreed on Wednesday to revoke an increase in public transportation fares that set off demonstrations that have grown into nationwide protests against poor public services, inflation an…
Afghan government to shun U.S. talks with Taliban
KABUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Revived Afghan peace talks hit their first roadblock on Wednesday, a day after they were announced, as Afghan President Hamid Karzai said his government would not join U.S. talks with the Taliban and would halt negotiations…
