Syria gas ‘kills hundreds,’ Security Council meets
BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) – Syria’s opposition accused government forces of gassing hundreds of people on Wednesday by firing rockets that released deadly fumes over rebel-held Damascus suburbs, killing men, women and children as they slept.
Divisive, dramatic case of China’s Bo Xilai comes to trial
JINAN, China (Reuters) – Police blocked entry to a courthouse in the eastern Chinese city of Jinan on Thursday where the trial of ousted politician Bo Xilai is to open, the final, dramatic chapter of the country’s most politically charged case in more …
Divided Egypt prepares to release Mubarak from jail
CAIRO (Reuters) – Deposed Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak could leave prison on Thursday after a court ruling that further divided a country in turmoil since the army toppled Islamist President Mohamed Mursi seven weeks ago.
U.N. Security Council says ‘clarity’ needed after alleged Syria attack
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. Security Council said it was necessary to clarify an alleged chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of Damascus on Wednesday but stopped short of explicitly demanding a probe by U.N. investigators in Syria.
Italy’s Letta meets centre right, fails to resolve problems
ROME (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta met with Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right party on Wednesday to seek a solution to a stand-off that threatens his fragile coalition, but positions remained “distant”, a government source said.
China to join global crackdown on tax evasion
WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – China has agreed to join the international effort by the Group of 20 leading economies to combat tax evasion by signing an agreement to share tax records, the OECD said Wednesday.
Ousted Egyptian leader Mubarak to be put under house arrest
CAIRO (Reuters) – Deposed Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak will be put under house arrest, the prime minister’s office said on Wednesday.
White House calls for U.N. probe of alleged Syria gas attack
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House on Wednesday called on the United Nations to urgently investigate allegations of massive deadly chemical weapons use by Syrian government forces, an attack which if confirmed could increase pressure on President B…
Fear returns to Egypt as state crackdown widens
CAIRO (Reuters) – A climate of fear that kept Egyptians compliant during the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak is creeping back into daily life, less than three years after the revolt that toppled him.
France, Britain say U.N. must access alleged Syria attack site
PARIS (Reuters) – France and Britain said on Wednesday that United Nations inspectors currently in Syria should be allowed immediate access to the site of an alleged deadly chemical weapons attack.
