Venezuela offers asylum to U.S. fugitive Snowden
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro offered asylum to former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden in defiance of Washington, which is demanding his arrest for divulging details of secret U.S. spy programs.
Venezuela asylum offer Snowden’s best option: Russian lawmaker
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Political asylum in Venezuela would be the best choice for former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, a senior Russian lawmaker said on Saturday.
Britain to deport radical cleric Abu Qatada on Sunday: papers
LONDON (Reuters) – Radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada will be deported by Britain to Jordan on Sunday, ending eight years of government efforts to send him home for trial, British papers reported on Saturday.
Tanzania says arrests Briton wanted by UK on terror charges
DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) – Tanzania has arrested a British man suspected of involvement in unspecified “terrorism activities” in Britain, police in the east African country said.
Wary Tibetans mark Dalai Lama’s birthday quietly in China
CHABCHA COUNTY, China (Reuters) – The streets of Chabcha county in western Qinghai province were quiet on Saturday as Tibetan monks marked the Dalai Lama’s birthday in their homes, wary that any public celebration could endanger a tentative softening b…
Islamist group threatens violence after ousting of Egypt’s Mursi
RIYADH (Reuters) – A new Islamist group has announced its formation in Egypt, calling the army’s ousting of President Mohamed Mursi a declaration of war on its faith and threatening to use violence to impose Islamic law.
Japan PM’s ruling bloc headed for big election win: surveys
TOKYO (Reuters) – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling bloc is headed for a big victory in this month’s upper house election, media surveys show, a win that would end a parliamentary deadlock and set the stage for Japan’s first stable government since 20…
Explosions shut down Colombia’s No. 2 oil pipeline
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Two explosions have shut down Colombia’s 80,000 barrel-per-day Cano Limon-Covenas oil pipeline, state-controlled oil company Ecopetrol said on Friday, with a military source describing them as attacks carried out by leftist rebels.
El Salvador gang truce wobbles as violent murders mount
SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) – El Salvador has seen a burst of violence, with 103 homicides this week, the government said on Friday, as a year-long truce between the country’s violent gangs appeared to be crumbling.
Syrian opposition to hold runoff vote Saturday for new leader
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – The Syrian opposition voted on Saturday to elect a new leader, but the top two candidates failed to gain a simple majority needed to become president of the coalition fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad.
