World

Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin

Putin ready to return as Russian president

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Vladimir Putin declared yesterday that he planned to reclaim the Russian presidency in an election next March that could open the way for the former KGB spy to rule until 2024.

Syria bans imports to save foreign currency

AMMAN (Reuters) – Syria has banned most imports except raw materials and grains, local businessmen said yesterday, in a move to preserve foreign currency reserves as pressure grows from a popular rebellion and Western sanctions against Syria’s rulers.

Attack on Yemen opposition camp kills 17

SANAA, (Reuters) – At least 17 protesters and soldiers were killed during an attack by government forces on an opposition protest camp in Yemen’s capital after President Ali Abdullah Saleh returned after a three-month absence, witnesses and protesters said  yesterday.

Tripoli armed group says arms spreading to regions

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Weapons seized from sites in Tripoli have been taken to other parts of Libya by fighters who filled the capital to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi, a representative of one of the city’s armed groups said yesterday.

Pressure grows on Sarkozy over Karachi kickbacks

PARIS (Reuters) – A corruption investigation is circling closer to President Nicolas Sarkozy as a third ally comes under pressure in the so-called “Karachi Affair”, accused of alerting a friend in police custody to secret witness testimony.

Mahmoud Abbas

Abbas stakes Palestinian claim to state at UN

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked the United Nations yesterday to recognize a state for his people, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the world body as a “theatre of the absurd” and said only direct talks could deliver peace.

Hina Rabbani Khar

Pakistan warns US: ‘You will lose an ally’

ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Pakistan warned the United States it risked losing an ally if it kept accusing Islamabad of playing a double game in the war against militancy, escalating the crisis in relations between the two countries.

Rehman Malik

Sparks fly as US, Pakistan spar over Afghan bloodshed

WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – The top US military officer accused Pakistani intelligence yesterday of backing violence against US targets including the American Embassy in Afghanistan, a stunning remark that fueled a war of words and seemed certain to deepen tensions in South Asia.

Palestinian crisis looms over UN meeting

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Diplomats scrambled yesterday to head off a clash over Palestinian plans to seek full UN recognition with little visible sign of progress and a deadline less than 24 hours away.

Brazil lower house approves Truth Commission

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s lower house of Congress has approved the creation of a Truth Commission charged with investigating human rights abuses, including those committed during the 1964-1985 military dictatorship.

Australia govt seeks to douse leadership speculation

CANBERRA (Reuters) – Senior Australian ministers sought to douse speculation that former leader Kevin Rudd is preparing a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who unseated Rudd last year to trigger dead-heat elections.

Mahmoud Abbas

Obama tells Abbas US will veto Palestinians at UN

NEW YORK (Reuters) – US President Barack Obama told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday that UN action would not achieve a Palestinian state and the United States would veto any Security Council move to recognize Palestinian statehood, the White House said.

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