Azeri authorities clamp down on dissent ahead of October vote: group
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Azerbaijan has intensified a crackdown on activists and journalists to stifle criticism of long-term leader Ilham Aliyev before presidential elections in October, campaign group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday.
Scornful Syria hails ‘historic American retreat’ as Obama hesitates
BEIRUT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Syria hailed a “historic American retreat” on Sunday, mockingly accusing President Barack Obama of hesitation and confusion after he delayed a military response to last month’s chemical weapons attack near Damascus to cons…
Exclusive: USS Nimitz carrier group rerouted for possible help with Syria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz and other ships in its strike group are heading west toward the Red Sea to help support a limited U.S. strike on Syria, if needed, defense officials said on Sunday.
Obama and aides confront skeptical Congress on Syria strike
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama and his top aides launched a full-scale political offensive on Sunday to persuade a skeptical Congress to approve a military strike against Syria, but faced an uphill struggle to win over many lawmakers and…
German candidates clash on euro and taxes in tight TV duel
BERLIN (Reuters) – Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Social Democrat challenger in this month’s German election clashed over the euro, tax policy and U.S. spying in a television debate on Sunday that produced no clear winner.
Egypt sends Mursi to trial as new constitution advances
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s army-backed authorities referred deposed President Mohamed Mursi to trial on Sunday on charges of inciting murder and violence, in an escalation of the crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood.
Arab states urge action against Syrian government
CAIRO (Reuters) – Arab states on Sunday urged the international community to take action against the Syrian government over a chemical gas attack that killed hundreds of civilians.
TV confessions in China an unsettling new trend for executives
BEIJING (Reuters) – A series of confessions by foreign and local executives on China’s state-controlled television has spurred anxiety among the business community about a trend that some lawyers say makes a mockery of due process.
Japan government abandons hands-off approach to Fukushima clean-up
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s government is moving to take a more direct role in the clean-up of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, as concerns grow over the ability of embattled operator Tokyo Electric to handle the legacy of the worst atomic disaster i…
South Africa’s Mandela back home after long hospital stay
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Anti-apartheid leader and former South African President Nelson Mandela returned to his home on Sunday where he will continue to receive intensive care after three months in hospital with a lung ailment.
