In first response to Snowden, China skirts direct comment
BEIJING (Reuters) – China refused to be drawn on Thursday on revelations of U.S. electronic surveillance and on the American in Hong Kong who leaked the information, and a senior source said Beijing does not want to jeopardize recently improved ties wi…
Greek PM to meet coalition partners on Monday over ERT crisis
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras will meet his coalition partners on Monday, his office said on Thursday, in a bid to find a way a out of a growing political crisis over the sudden closure of state broadcaster ERT.
Zimbabwe’s Tsvangirai rejects July 31 election date
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday rejected a plan by President Robert Mugabe to hold an election on July 31, accusing his rival of breaking the constitution and fomenting a political crisis in the southern African…
Mandela responding better to treatment: South Africa’s Zuma
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – Anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela was responding better to treatment in hospital on Wednesday morning after a “difficult last few days”, South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma said.
Saudi Arabia arrests dozens in protest over prisoners: activists
DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi security forces arrested dozens of people this week during protests by families seeking freedom for relatives detained on security charges, activists and witnesses said.
Mugabe fast-tracks election laws, by-passes parliament
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe fast-tracked changes to electoral laws on Thursday, using a presidential decree to by-pass parliament in a bid to comply with a constitutional court order to hold elections by July 31.
India considers special parliament session to pass food bill
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s government is considering calling a special session of parliament to pass a $24 billion welfare scheme to give cheap food to the poor, the finance minister said on Thursday, a move clearly aimed at public opinion ahead of …
Russia can’t raise state spending forever: Putin
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia cannot afford to keep raising state spending, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, but it must find the money to fulfill the social spending promises he made on his return to the Kremlin last year.
Tibetan self-immolations having little effect, Dalai Lama says
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Tibetans setting themselves on fire to protest against Chinese rule are having little effect on Beijing’s policies, exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said on Thursday, while urging China to look harder at the reasons beh…
Ex-CIA man’s snooping claims raise alarm bells in Hong Kong
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Fresh revelations by former CIA employee Edward Snowden have raised concerns that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) may have hacked into Hong Kong’s key internet exchange, which handles nearly all the Chinese territory’s dom…
