Syrian rebels threaten to target Shi’ite villages in Aleppo
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian rebels in the northern province of Aleppo on Monday threatened to seize two Shi’ite Muslim villages that back President Bashar al-Assad unless they surrendered to the opposition.
Indonesia assembly bill raises fears of crackdown on freedoms
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s parliament passed a bill on Tuesday curbing freedom to organize and assemble, prompting street protests and raising concerns among religious groups and labor unions that it will allow the government to silence opposition…
Czech PM Rusnok expects cabinet appointed next Wednesday
PRAGUE (Reuters) – New Czech Prime Minister Jiri Rusnok said on Tuesday he expected his full cabinet to be appointed by President Milos Zeman on Wednesday next week.
Guinea opposition resume election talks with government
CONAKRY (Reuters) – Guinea’s opposition parties resumed negotiations with the government on Tuesday over long-delayed legislative elections after breaking off talks two weeks ago following an attack on one of their leaders.
Russian tycoon Lebedev convicted over televised brawl
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian media magnate Alexander Lebedev was convicted of battery over a televised brawl on Tuesday following a trial he portrayed as President Vladimir Putin’s revenge for criticizing the government.
UAE jails 61 Islamists in coup plot trial, rights groups protest
ABU DHABI (Reuters) – Sixty-one convicted coup plotters received jail terms of up to 10 years in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday after a trial that targeted Islamists and drew criticism from human rights groups.
U.S., Russia remove potential atom bomb material from Vietnam
VIENNA (Reuters) – The United States and Russia have helped ship out nearly 16 kilograms (35 pounds) of highly enriched uranium from Vietnam as part of a global campaign to reduce the use of nuclear fuel that could also provide material for bombs.
Czech PM Rusnok expects full cabinet by next Wednesday
PRAGUE (Reuters) – New Czech Prime Minister Jiri Rusnok expects his full cabinet to be appointed by President Milos Zeman next Wednesday, CTK news agency said on Tuesday.
French far-right chief Le Pen loses immunity over racism case
STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) – The leader of France’s far-right National Front lost her right to legal immunity as a European Parliament deputy on Tuesday, exposing her to possible prosecution over a racism charge.
Profile: China’s President Xi Jinping
– As leader of the most populous country on earth, Xi took up his post as president in 2013 in the second planned, orderly transition since the Communist revolution in 1949. As the chosen heir to his predecessor, Hu Jintao, Xi assumed the title of Comm…
