Rebels hang on near Damascus, hope for deal on arms from Jordan
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian rebels besieged in the outskirts of Damascus say they are facing a slow but steady advance by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, and are pinning their hopes on an anticipated influx of weapons from the Jordanian border.
Guinea’s opposition leader suspends talks with government
CONAKRY (Reuters) – Guinea’s main opposition leader on Thursday pulled out of U.N.-mediated election talks with the government, accusing police and youths of attacking him and his supporters.
Bulgaria back in line with EU on Hezbollah bomb link: diplomats
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria will not impede a push to put Hezbollah’s armed wing on the European Union’s terrorism blacklist because the new government, after wavering on the issue, has now decided to fall into line with its fellow EU members, diplomats…
France’s Fabius wants more talks with Syria rebels before arming
PARIS (Reuters) – France said on Thursday it needed more talks with Syrian rebels before it could supply them with heavy weapons and said recent gains by Syrian government forces did not mean President Bashar al-Assad was heading for a “complete victor…
Saudi Arabia offers Iran’s Rohani qualified support
DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia, a Gulf rival of Iran, wants Iranian President-elect Hassan Rohani to seek stability in the Middle East and avoid interfering in other states’ affairs, a Saudi official was quoted as saying on Thursday.
Kuwait to hold snap parliamentary election on July 25
KUWAIT (Reuters) – Kuwait will hold a snap parliamentary election on July 25, state news agency KUNA said, after the Gulf Arab state’s top court dissolved the chamber on a technicality earlier this week in a case which has aggravated political tensions…
Turkey warns Germany not to play politics over EU entry talks
ISTANBUL/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Turkey warned German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday not to play politics with its European Union ambitions, and said failure to open a new chapter in accession talks next week would be a major setback in Ankara’s rel…
Analysis: Rough honeymoon for Chavez’s successor in Venezuela
CARACAS (Reuters) – Wearing sports gear in the national colors and sitting on a sofa in a modest family home, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro holds a microphone, chats with locals and expounds on the benefits of socialism.
Syrian rebel general grapples with disarray in his ranks
AMMAN (Reuters) – The commander of Syria’s main rebel force is coming under increasing pressure to impose unity on his fighters as the United States and other powers move towards arming the opposition battling to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.
Bangladesh sentences to death 10 Islamists for suicide bombing
DHAKA (Reuters) – A Bangladeshi court handed down death sentences on Thursday to 10 militants of an Islamist group with ties to Al-Qaeda over a 2005 suicide bomb attack that killed eight people, court officials and lawyers said.
