Mammoth debt hangs over next Italian government
MILAN (Reuters) – Whoever wins Italy’s elections this weekend will inherit a 2 trillion euro ($2.7 trillion) public debt that is draining badly needed funds which would be better used to spur growth.
Iran denies allegations of organizing spy cell in Nigeria
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran denied on Friday Nigerian allegations that it had trained militants arrested in Nigeria on charges of planning attacks on U.S. and Israeli targets there.
Pope confident his resignation will not hurt Church
ROME (Reuters) – A visibly moved Pope Benedict tried to assure his worldwide flock on Wednesday over his stunning decision to become the first pontiff in centuries to resign, saying he was confident that it would not hurt the Church.
Italy’s Northern League vows to paralyze next government
MILAN (Reuters) – Italy’s center-right plans to obstruct the government expected to emerge from an election in less than two weeks time and block legislation, Northern League leader Roberto Maroni said on Wednesday.
Egyptian police strike, seek interior minister’s ouster
CAIRO (Reuters) – Thousands of Egyptian riot police and conscripts have gone on strike to demand the interior minister’s resignation, saying he is too close to the country’s Islamist leadership, security sources said on Wednesday.
Syrian troops bombard rebel posts around capital
AMMAN (Reuters) – President Bashar al-Assad’s forces bombarded the southeast of Damascus with air strikes and artillery on Wednesday to try and dislodge rebel fighters who have gained a foothold in the Syrian capital, opposition activists said.
Maldives ex-president in Indian embassy to avoid arrest
MALE (Reuters) – Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed took refuge in the Indian High Commission in the capital Male on Wednesday as police attempted to arrest him, raising the prospect of protests by supporters who say he was ousted a year ago in …
Ten Afghans killed in NATO air strike: officials
KUNAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) – A NATO air strike killed 10 Afghan civilians, including five children, in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, local officials said, a toll that if confirmed is likely to raise tension between President Hamid Karzai’s govern…
Iran says it has begun upgrading uranium centrifuges
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran said on Wednesday it had started installing a new generation of machines for enriching uranium, an announcement likely to annoy the West and complicate efforts to resolve a decade-old dispute over its nuclear program.
Insight: Divided Damascus confronted by all-out war
DAMASCUS (Reuters) – MiG warplanes roar low overhead to strike rebels fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad on the fringes of Damascus, while artillery batteries pound the insurgents from hills overlooking a city divided between all-out war and a …
