Zimbabwe’s Mugabe lashes out at ‘insane’ Washington
CHINHOYI, Zimbabwe (Reuters) – Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe branded the United States “absolutely insane” on Thursday for voicing concerns about a July 31 election, although neighboring South Africa joined Washington in criticizing chaotic preparat…
New Pakistan government vows to rescue ailing power sector
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan’s new energy minister promised on Thursday to fix the country’s ailing energy sector in three years, laying out an ambitious plan to tackle crippling power shortages that have devastated the economy and sparked violent pr…
Concordia captain’s lawyers seek new expert survey of ship hulk
GROSSETO, Italy (Reuters) – Lawyers for Francesco Schettino, captain of the Costa Concordia cruise liner that capsized off Italy’s coast killing 32 people, called on Thursday for a new expert survey of the ship’s wreck to clarify exactly what caused th…
Spanish doctors kidnapped in Kenya freed in Somalia
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Two Spanish doctors kidnapped while working at a refugee camp in eastern Kenya in October 2011, Montserrat Serra and Blanca Thiebaut, have been freed in Somalia, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia to transfer $2 billion shortly, Egypt says
CAIRO (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia will transfer $2 billion in promised aid to Egypt within the next few days, Egypt’s central bank governor told the state newspaper al-Ahram on Thursday.
Fractured Chilean right should pick single candidate: Pinera
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Chilean president Sebastian Pinera urged his fractured right-wing coalition to settle on one presidential candidate ahead of the November general election, as the bloc scrambles to avert an electoral debacle.
Ireland agrees to send peacekeepers to Golan
DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland is to send 114 peacekeepers to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to help monitor a decades-old truce between Israel and Syria that has been shaken by a spillover of violence from Syria’s civil war.
Kurds seize town on Syrian-Turkish border
ANKARA (Reuters) – A Syrian Kurdish party with links to Kurdish militants in Turkey has seized control of a Syrian town on the Turkish border after days of clashes with Islamist fighters, the Turkish military said.
Syria’s Assad may cling on, Britain will not arm rebels: sources
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain has abandoned plans to arm Syrian rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad and believes he might survive in office for years, sources familiar with government thinking say.
Palestinians defer decision on renewing peace talks: official
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Palestinian leaders on Thursday put off a decision about restarting peace talks with Israel, with most saying Israel must first meet their terms before negotiations can start, a Palestinian official said.
