Battles intensify in Syria’s strategic city of Homs
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian troops fought with rebels in Homs on Monday in a battle seen as crucial to the government’s attempts to drive a wedge between opposition-held areas and establish links between the capital and President Bashar al-Assad’s coasta…
Mexico opposition wins key state vote, boosting reform outlook
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto’s economic agenda looked to be on surer footing after local elections on Sunday yielded results that favor a cross-party pact he forged to push reforms through Congress.
Germany defends ‘strictly legal’ cooperation with NSA
BERLIN (Reuters) – Angela Merkel’s government said on Monday that its cooperation with American intelligence was fully regulated by strict legal guidelines after a magazine reported that the U.S. National Security Agency was in close cahoots with Germa…
Turkish police fired water cannon to prevent park protest
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish police fired teargas and water cannon on Monday at protesters who tried to defy a closure order and enter an Istanbul park at the centre of protests against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s government.
Liberia’s Johnson-Sirleaf sacks auditor-general for graft
DAKAR (Reuters) – President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf dismissed Liberia’s auditor-general and the head of the public procurement agency (GSA) on Monday in a crackdown on public sector corruption.
Cuba to embark on deregulation of state companies
HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba will begin deregulating state-run companies in 2014 as reform of the Soviet-style command economy moves from retail services and farming into its biggest enterprises, the head of the Communist Party’s reform efforts said.
U.N. urged to consider drones, gunships for South Sudan mission
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United Nations should consider deploying surveillance drones and helicopter gunships in South Sudan because peacekeepers are struggling to protect civilians from violence and rights abuses, the U.N. special envoy to South…
White House says will not immediately cut off aid to Egypt
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said on Monday it is not in the best interests of the United States to immediately change its aid program to Egypt, where President Mohamed Mursi was removed from office by the military last week.
Venezuela charges five officials with embezzling China funds
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela has arrested five officials and charged them with embezzling $84 million from a China-financed development fund administered by state-run development bank Bandes, President Nicolas Maduro said on Monday.
U.S. tells Egyptian army to exercise ‘maximum restraint’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The State Department on Monday called on the Egyptian army to exercise “maximum restraint” in dealing with protesters after at least 51 people were killed when the military opened fire on supporters of ousted President Mohamed Mu…
