Belgian King Albert II to step down in favor of son
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Belgium’s King Albert II said on Wednesday he would abdicate and leave the throne to his son on July 21, saying he felt too old to carry out his duties properly.
With eye on election, India launches huge cheap food scheme
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The Indian government launched a $22 billion welfare scheme on Wednesday to give cheap food to hundreds of millions of people, a centerpiece of the ruling Congress party’s plan to win a third term in elections due by May 2014.
Mursi, Brotherhood leaders face travel ban: sources
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian authorities have placed an international travel ban on President Mohamed Mursi and other leading members of the Muslim Brotherhood, security sources told Reuters on Wednesday.
Ivory Coast’s Ouattara says to seek re-election in 2015
ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara said on Wednesday that he would seek re-election for a second term in 2015 in the world’s top cocoa grower, the first time he has publicly commented on his leadership plans.
Mursi works at barracks, unclear if can leave: aide
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi has spent Wednesday working normally at a regular presidential office in a compound of the Republican Guard in suburban Cairo, an aide to the Islamist head of state told Reuters.
Mursi aide sees violence from ‘coup’ under way
CAIRO (Reuters) – The Egyptian president’s national security adviser said on Wednesday that a “military coup” was under way and army and police violence was expected to remove pro-Mursi demonstrators.
Syria says Mursi must realize Egyptians don’t want him
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian government, fighting to crush a two-year-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad that started with peaceful calls for reform, said on Wednesday Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi should step down for the sake of his c…
Portugal PM says confident political rift will be overcome
BERLIN (Reuters) – Portugal’s Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho expects to quickly overcome an internal political crisis in his ruling coalition that risks triggering a snap election and derailing bailed out Lisbon’s return to market financing.
Credit card donations to WikiLeaks flowing through Iceland again
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – International credit card donations to WikiLeaks are flowing again after an Icelandic court ruling forced MasterCard’s and Visa’s local agent to process payments, the companies involved in processing the funds said.
Defense secretary called Egypt’s army chief on Tuesday: Pentagon
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called Egyptian army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday and the two also spoke last week, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, declining to offer details of the conversations.
