China bans extravagant official galas to curb graft
BEIJING (Reuters) – China will ban officials from holding extravagant galas linked to official meetings that have hurt the image of the government, the latest move by President Xi Jinping to fight corruption, state media said on Tuesday.
U.S. should hold confidential direct talks with Iran: think tank
DUBAI (Reuters) – The United States should hold confidential direct talks with Iran over its nuclear program but the West should not expect Iran’s moderate new president to offer major concessions, a prominent think-tank said on Tuesday.
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood says open to talks on crisis
CAIRO (Reuters) – The Muslim Brotherhood is ready to take part in talks on Egypt’s political crisis mediated by the country’s leading Islamic authority, as long as they are on the right terms, its spokesman said on Tuesday.
Turkish government to debate reforms as Kurdish pressure mounts
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s government is expected to begin debating a package of long-awaited reforms next week aimed at bolstering Kurdish rights and boosting democracy, a step which could help keep a fragile peace process on track.
France mulls pension changes to give labourers more say over when they retire
VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France (Reuters) – France’s government is mulling a points-based retirement credit system rather than a years-of-work tally for people in tough physical jobs, to give them more say over when they retire, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ay…
Tunisian Islamists, secularists gird for rival shows of strength
TUNIS (Reuters) – Islamists and the secular opposition in Tunisia planned street rallies in rival shows of strength on Tuesday, raising the risk of violence and threat to the democratic transition in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.
Peace talks resume under cloud of Israeli construction
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – A 10-minute drive from where negotiators will sit down on Wednesday to resume long-stalled Middle East peace talks, Israeli bulldozers are busy reshaping land that Palestinians want for their future state.
Insight: As Afghanistan endgame looms, a deadly edge to India-Pakistan rivalry
BARAMULLA/NEW DELHI, India (Reuters) – Pakistan-based militants are preparing to take on India across the subcontinent once Western troops leave Afghanistan next year, several sources say, raising the risk of a dramatic spike in tensions between nuclea…
India auditor says wrongdoing in Italy chopper deal, piles pressure on government
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian negotiators set a higher base price for the purchase of helicopters from AgustaWestland and frequently changed the bidding rules, the federal auditor said on Tuesday, making it harder for the government to complete the 560 …
Palestinian prisoner release on track after court ruling
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel’s plans to free 26 Palestinian prisoners to help underpin renewed peace talks remained on track on Tuesday after its High Court rejected an appeal against their release.
