U.N. castigates Australia for treatment of 46 refugees
GENEVA (Reuters) – Australia must compensate and release 46 refugees whom it has arbitrarily detained and treated in a cruel, inhuman and degrading way, a U.N. human rights watchdog has said.
South Africa construction workers to strike from Monday: union
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers said its 90,000 members in the construction industry would go on strike from Monday over demands for higher wages.
Norway’s ruling Labor party on comeback trail as election nears, poll shows
OSLO (Reuters) – Norway’s ruling Labor party is making up ground on the center-right opposition, raising the prospect of a close parliamentary election on September 9, polls showed on Thursday.
Iran says Syrian government not behind possible chemical attack
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday the Syrian government could not have been behind a possible chemical weapon attack on the outskirts of Damascus as President Bashar al-Assad’s forces had the upper hand in…
Ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai denies one bribery charge against him
JINAN, China (Reuters) – Ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai denied on Thursday one of the charges of bribery against him, a court in eastern China quoted him as saying as he appeared at the start of his trial.
Assad’s forces bombard Damascus suburbs after gas attack: activists
AMMAN (Reuters) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces bombarded rebel-held suburbs of Damascus on Thursday, activists said, keeping up pressure on the besieged region a day after the opposition accused the army of gassing hundreds in a chemical w…
Chinese court shows first picture of ousted politician Bo Xilai
JINAN, China (Reuters) – A Chinese court showed the first picture of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai in 17 months as he appeared at the start of his trial on Thursday.
Abuse of power charge against China’s Bo relates to murder case involving wife
JINAN, China (Reuters) – The charge of abuse of power against ousted former politician Bo Xilai relates to the murder case involving his wife, a court in eastern China said on Thursday.
Flamboyant Chinese princeling faces final indignity
BEIJING (Reuters) – The writing was perhaps already on the wall for Bo Xilai, the controversial former top official of China’s southwestern city of Chongqing, when he appeared at last year’s parliamentary meeting, alternately chastened and combative.
Turkish foreign min says clear that chemical weapons used in Syria
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey’s foreign minister said on Wednesday it was clear from television footage that chemical weapons had been used in an attack near the Syrian capital Damascus and telephoned U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to urge an immediate investiga…
