U.S. says to take lead to contain North Korea
SEOUL (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama said North Korea’s third nuclear test, in defiance of U.N. resolutions, was a threat and a provocation and that the United States would lead the world in responding.
Egypt floods Gaza tunnels to cut Palestinian lifeline
GAZA (Reuters) – Egyptian forces have flooded smuggling tunnels under the border with the Palestinian-ruled Gaza Strip in a campaign to shut them down, Egyptian and Palestinian officials said.
Tunisia protests after government critic shot dead
TUNIS (Reuters) – A Tunisian opposition politician was shot dead on Wednesday, sending protesters onto the streets of cities nationwide two years after the uprisings that swept Tunisia’s president from power and inflamed the Arab world.
Spaniards show little faith in politics or economic recovery
MADRID (Reuters) – Recession-hit Spaniards are losing faith in politicians and support is dropping for the ruling People’s Party (PP), which has slashed public spending and is embroiled in a corruption scandal, a poll indicated on Wednesday.
French battle Mali rebels in Sahara, Tuaregs an issue
KIDAL, Mali (Reuters) – French and Malian troops are fighting Islamist rebels in the Sahara outside northern Mali’s biggest town, France’s defense minister said on Wednesday, describing the desert campaign against al Qaeda as a “real war” that was far …
Merkel proposes September 22 as election date: spokesman
BERLIN (Reuters) – Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government has asked the German president to set September 22 as the date of the next federal election, when she hopes to secure a third term in power.
Fighting erupts in Damascus as rebels launch offensive
AMMAN (Reuters) – Heavy fighting erupted in Damascus on Wednesday as rebels launched an offensive against President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, breaking a lull in the conflict, opposition activists said.
Ally of Iran’s Ahmadinejad freed from prison: official
DUBAI (Reuters) – A once-feared prosecutor at the center of a row between two of Iran’s most powerful figures was freed from two days’ detention on Wednesday, adding a new twist to their explosive feud just months before the country’s next presidential…
Tsunami kills at least five in Solomons after big Pacific quake
(Reuters) – A powerful 8.0 magnitude earthquake set off a tsunami that killed at least five people in a remote part of the Solomon Islands on Wednesday and triggered evacuations across the South Pacific as island nations issued tsunami alerts.
India "concerned" by China role in Pakistan port
BANGALORE (Reuters) – China’s role in operating a strategically important port in Pakistan is a matter of concern for India, its defense minister said on Wednesday, as New Delhi and Beijing jostle for influence in the region.
