Analysis: Syria vote humiliates UK’s Cameron, strains special relationship
LONDON (Reuters) – He lost by just 13 votes, but Prime Minister David Cameron’s failure to win parliamentary approval to launch military action against Syria may place a question mark over Britain’s role in the world as well as his own career.
North Korea cancels trip by U.S. envoy seeking Bae’s release: U.S.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – North Korea canceled a planned trip for a U.S. envoy to travel to Pyongyang on Friday and Saturday to seek the release of imprisoned and ailing American missionary Kenneth Bae, the U.S. State Department said.
France says ready to act over Syria, despite British refusal
PARIS (Reuters) – President Francois Hollande said a British parliamentary vote against taking military action in Syria would not affect France’s will to act to punish Bashar al-Assad’s government, which it blamed for a chemical attack on civilians.
In landlocked South Sudan, one road is a lifeline – and a bottleneck
NIMULE, South Sudan (Reuters) – Almost two weeks after truck driver George Wala loaded building materials in the Kenyan port of Mombasa bound for a company in South Sudan he still hadn’t reached his destination.
French penal reform extends probation to ease jail crowding
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s government said on Friday it would extend and reinforce the use of probation by law to ease overcrowding in prisons and fight repeat offences, drawing heckles from conservatives who say the move is soft on criminals.
UK says Snowden leaks hurt its national security, could expose spies
LONDON (Reuters) – Leaks by a fugitive U.S. intelligence contractor have damaged Britain’s national security, and the data he gave journalists includes information that might expose the identities of British spies, a government official told the High C…
Turkey says no doubt Assad’s forces behind poison gas attack
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Friday intelligence gathered by Ankara left no doubt that the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were responsible for a poison gas attack near Damascus last week.
South Africa’s waning gold industry braces for more strikes
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African gold miners plan to strike for higher pay from Tuesday, inflicting more damage on an industry that has produced a third of the bullion ever pulled from the earth but is now in rapid decline.
Ukraine leader says he has no power to pardon Tymoshenko
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich said on Friday he had no legal powers to allow jailed rival Yulia Tymoshenko to go abroad for medical treatment as some European governments have urged, but hinted compromise might be found if the …
Saudi Arabia raises military alertness over Syria: sources
DOHA/CAIRO (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia, a supporter of rebels fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad, has raised its level of military alertness in anticipation of a possible Western strike in Syria, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday.
