Exiled economist turns down Putin’s offer to return
YEKATERINBURG, Russia (Reuters) – Exiled economist Sergei Guriev turned down President Vladimir Putin’s invitation on Tuesday to return to Russia, saying he preferred freedom to the prospect of further harassment at the hands of federal investigators.
Mugabe’s election rush quashes Zimbabwe reform hopes
HARARE (Reuters) – Just after Zimbabwe’s top court told President Robert Mugabe to hold elections before the end of July, he appeared in a documentary combining domestic campaign mode with a diplomatic charm offensive.
Drunk Swiss OECD ambassador arrested in Paris after car chase
PARIS/ZURICH (Reuters) – Switzerland’s permanent representative at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, Stefan Flueckiger, has been arrested for drunk-driving by French police after a high-speed car chase, police s…
China and Russia set to press Iran on nuclear issue: diplomats
VIENNA (Reuters) – China and Russia are set to join four Western powers in voicing deep concern about Iran’s atomic activities this week and pressing it to cooperate with a stalled inquiry by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, diplomats said on Tuesday.
Pistorius judge attacks ‘scandalizing’ media coverage
PRETORIA (Reuters) – A South African judge postponed the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius on Tuesday and criticized the media for sensationalist reporting of the Olympic and Paralympic athletics star’s shooting of his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day.
Exclusive: China tried to convince North Korea to give up nuclear tests – source
BEIJING (Reuters) – China told an envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that Pyongyang should stop conducting nuclear and missile tests, but the North showed little sign of heeding the request, said a source with knowledge of the talks held late las…
Fukushima plant operator reverses claim groundwater not contaminated
TOKYO (Reuters) – Tokyo Electric Power Co said on Tuesday it had detected radioactive caesium in groundwater flowing into its wrecked Fukushima Daiichi plant, reversing an earlier finding that any contamination was negligible.
Afghan colonel arrested in prisoner torture case; U.S. link suspected
MAIDAN SHAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) – An Afghan army colonel has been arrested by the government for illegally handing over prisoners to a man working with a U.S. special forces team that was accused of torture and killings, three sources have told Reut…
Ecuador to talk with Britain on Assange on June 17
QUITO/LONDON (Reuters) – Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said on Monday he would meet Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague this month to discuss a possible solution to the year-long diplomatic standoff over WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Ass…
Kerry says time running out to revive Mideast peace
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Secretary of State John Kerry urged Israel and the Palestinians on Monday to revive stalled peace talks, warning that the alternative was a “negative spiral of responses.”
