European court says Russia’s Khodorkovsky case not political
STRASBOURG (Reuters) – A European court ruled on Thursday Russia had a legitimate case against ex-oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and business partner Platon Lebedev over alleged tax fraud, rejecting suggestions it had been political motivated.
Turkish teenager dies from stray bullets from Syria
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) – A 15-year-old Turkish boy died late on Wednesday from injuries sustained last week when he was hit by stray bullets from Syria during clashes between Kurdish fighters and Islamist rebels near the Turkish border, hospital …
UAE embassy compound attacked in Libyan capital
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Unidentified assailants fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the United Arab Emirates embassy compound in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Thursday, the latest in a series of attacks on foreign targets in the North African country.
Insight: Missing red diary at heart of Italy’s dark history
PALERMO, Sicily (Reuters) – More than 20 years after anti-mafia hero Paolo Borsellino was killed by a huge bomb, his missing diary is still at the heart of one of Italy’s murkiest and most enduring mysteries.
Japan to mull pre-emptive strike ability in defense update
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan is likely to start considering acquiring the ability to launch pre-emptive military strikes in a planned update of its basic defense policies, the latest step away from the constraints of its pacifist constitution.
Japanese PM unlikely to visit Yasukuni shrine on August 15: media
TOKYO (Reuters) – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is unlikely to visit Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, seen in much of Asia as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism, on the emotive August 15 anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War Two to avoid upsetting China and …
Mexican president Pena Nieto to have operation next week
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican President Pena Nieto will have an operation next week to remove a nodule from his thyroid gland, his office said in a statement on Wednesday.
At least 45 killed as train derails in Spain
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain (Reuters) – At least 45 people were killed and 70 injured when a train derailed on the outskirts of the northern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela on Wednesday in one of Europe’s worst rail disasters.
Fugitive Snowden’s hopes of leaving Moscow airport dashed
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Fugitive U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden’s hopes of leaving Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport for the first time in a month on Wednesday were dashed when he failed to secure permission from Russia to leave.
U.S., Vietnam to intensify talks despite protests
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and Vietnam have agreed to intensify talks on a regional free-trade agreement in hopes of finishing by the end of the year, the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office said on Wednesday, following a call by labor and…
