Reuters: World News

Obama defends intelligence tactics in wary Berlin

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:39:09 GMT

BERLIN (Reuters) - President Barack Obama defended U.S. intelligence methods on a visit to Berlin on Wednesday, telling Chancellor Angela Merkel and wary Germans that Washington was not monitoring the emails of ordinary citizens or damaging civil liberties.

Greek coalition parties meet to try to settle state TV row

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:29:34 GMT

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's ruling party leaders met on Wednesday to try to agree when and how to resume state TV broadcasts, two days after a top court ordered the immediate reopening of the state broadcaster ERT, abruptly closed by the government a week ago.

Bombs destroy police station in Libya's Benghazi

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:27:35 GMT

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Bombs flattened a police station in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Wednesday but there were no casualties as the building had been emptied for repairs following previous attacks, security officials said.

Obama wants to cut nuclear arms, seeks talks with Russia

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:22:40 GMT

BERLIN (Reuters) - President Barack Obama wants to reduce deployed nuclear weapons by up to a third and revive negotiations with Russia to "move beyond Cold War nuclear postures", he said in a speech on Wednesday in Berlin.

Analysis: Putin basks in isolation over Syria as Obama's charm falls flat

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:16:46 GMT

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland/MOSCOW (Reuters) - At the end of a tense two-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama - slumped over and serious - tried to lighten the mood with a joke about their favorite sports.

Germany agrees financing of 8 billion euro flood aid fund

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:11:39 GMT

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has agreed the financing of an 8-billion euro fund to help repair damage caused by the worst flooding in a decade, with both the federal government and states footing the bill, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.

UAE will try 30 Emiratis, Egyptians for illegal Brotherhood cell

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:06:50 GMT

DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday it would put on trial 30 Emiratis and Egyptians accused of setting up an illegal branch of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, part of a crackdown on the Islamist organization that has soured relations with Cairo.

Afghan government to shun U.S. talks with Taliban

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:03:45 GMT

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Wednesday his government would not join U.S. peace talks with the Taliban until they were led by Afghans and would suspend negotiations with the United States on a troop pact.

Turkish government, protesters seek to draw sting from unrest

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:11:52 GMT

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's deputy prime minister said on Wednesday he had no objection to silent anti-government protests inspired by a symbolic "Standing Man" vigil, comments that could help draw the sting out of three weeks of often violent demonstrations.

Palestinian tobacco faces threat from crackdown on black economy

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:09:45 GMT

YA'ABAD, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinian farmers sow tobacco sprouts in the rocky earth of the northern West Bank, reaping a harvest that provides a reliable livelihood in the struggling occupied territory.

Somali Islamist rebels launch deadly attack on U.N. compound

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:09:13 GMT

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Islamist militants carried out a deadly assault on a U.N. compound in the Somali capital on Wednesday, dealing a blow to fragile security gains that have allowed a slow return of foreign aid workers and diplomats.

Mozambique's Renamo threatens to paralyze vital coal railway

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:07:43 GMT

MAPUTO (Reuters) - The Renamo opposition party, a former guerrilla organization, threatened on Wednesday to paralyze the only railway line out of Mozambique's vast coalfields in an effort to hurt the government.

Hamas says its Iran ties worsen over Syrian civil war

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:01:23 GMT

GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas said on Wednesday its relations with financial backer Iran have suffered as a result of the Islamist group's support of rebels battling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-time Iranian ally.

Putin criticizes U.S. over missile defenses

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:59:38 GMT

ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed concern about U.S. missile defenses and high-precision weapons on Wednesday, before a speech in which Barack Obama was expected to call for nuclear arms cuts.

Kurdish rebel commander warns Turkish state sabotaging peace

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:50:27 GMT

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A top Kurdish militant commander warned on Wednesday a fragile peace process had been jeopardized by increased military activity and a lack of concrete steps by the government, including the continued detention of Kurdish politicians.

North Korea repeats offer for nuclear talks

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:40:35 GMT

BEIJING (Reuters) - A top North Korean diplomat repeated an offer for international talks over his country's disputed nuclear program during a meeting in China on Wednesday, saying the denuclearization of the peninsula was the "dying wish" of North Korea's founder.

Europe faces uphill battle over youth unemployment

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:26:28 GMT

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders will hold a summit later this month to tackle the growing scourge of youth unemployment. But there's a problem: the 6 billion euros they want to use to get to grips with the issue aren't yet available.

Nigeria bans satellite phones in Islamist battleground

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:17:12 GMT

MAIDUGURI (Reuters) - Nigeria's military banned the use of Thuraya satellite phones on Wednesday in northeastern Borno state, a step it said was designed to stop Islamist militants communicating.

Syrian rebels launch attack to block northern highway

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:07:45 GMT

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Rebels attacked a main highway in northern Syria on Wednesday, opposition groups said, to try to choke off a major supply line for President Bashar al-Assad's forces in the region.

Blast hits Syrian port city of Latakia

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:42:50 GMT

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A loud explosion was heard near a military site in the Syrian port city of Latakia on Wednesday, opposition groups and state media said, but the cause of the blast was unclear.

UK says soldier deaths' court ruling will hit combat missions

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:37:43 GMT

LONDON (Reuters) - The British government warned on Wednesday that future combat operations could become more difficult after a court ruled that families of three soldiers killed in Iraq could sue the military for failing to protect troops on active duty.

Pirates attack ship off Nigeria, kidnap four: sources

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:13:26 GMT

ABUJA (Reuters) - Pirates in speedboats attacked an oil supply vessel and kidnapped four Indian and Polish crew members in increasingly dangerous waters off Nigeria's coast last week, two security sources said on Wednesday.

Bulgaria removes state security boss after protests

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:11:04 GMT

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's parliament dismissed a powerful media figure from his post as head of national security on Wednesday, hoping the move will put an end to protest rallies against the country's fragile three-week-old government.

Suicide bomber embraces and kills Sunni politician in Iraq

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:08:42 GMT

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up as he embraced a Sunni Muslim political leader in northern Iraq on Wednesday, killing the man and four of his family a day before elections in the area.

Rohani once approved of hiding Iran atomic work

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:25:27 GMT

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Years before he became Iran's president-elect, Hassan Rohani spoke approvingly about concealing his nation's nuclear program and said that when Pakistan got atomic bombs and Brazil began enriching uranium, "the world started to work with them."