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    • Former Hungarian PM Gyula Horn dies age 80: government

      BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Former Hungarian Socialist Prime Minister Gyula Horn has died at age 80 after a long illness, the government said in a statement on Wednesday, expressing its condolences to the family.
      Published: 6/19/2013 12:49:12 PM
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    • Obama defends U.S. intelligence strategy in wary Berlin

      BERLIN (Reuters) - President Barack Obama defended U.S. anti-terrorism tactics on a visit to Berlin on Wednesday, telling wary Germans Washington was not spying on the emails of ordinary citizens and promising to step up efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay prison.

      Published: 6/19/2013 12:46:53 PM
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    • Obama wants to cut nuclear arms, seeks talks with Russia

      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.

      Published: 6/19/2013 12:46:13 PM
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    • UK top court ruling threatens Western sanctions against Iran

      LONDON (Reuters) - Western government sanctions against Iran suffered a big setback on Wednesday when Britain's top court ruled that the government was wrong to have imposed sanctions on the biggest Iranian private bank over alleged links to Tehran's nuclear program.
      Published: 6/19/2013 12:42:08 PM
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    • Afghan government to shun U.S. talks with Taliban

      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.

      Published: 6/19/2013 12:31:52 PM
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    • Czech ruling party backs speaker to be first woman PM

      PRAGUE (Reuters) - The ruling Czech Civic Democrats have proposed Miroslava Nemcova as the next prime minister following the resignation of Petr Necas in a corruption scandal, the party said on Wednesday.
      Published: 6/19/2013 12:27:32 PM
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    • EU Parliament in push to limit U.S. data access

      BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union lawmakers want to forbid the United States from accessing European citizens' data without the approval of a judge or equivalent authority, a response to the revelations about the Prism spy program.
      Published: 6/19/2013 12:25:08 PM
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    • China's Xi tells Vietnam wants peace in South China Sea

      BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping told his visiting Vietnamese counterpart of Wednesday that maintaining peace and stability in the contested South China Sea was vital for both countries, who should remember their traditional friendship.
      Published: 6/19/2013 12:16:26 PM
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    • Somali Islamist rebels attack U.N. base, 22 dead

      MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Islamist militants carried out a deadly assault on the main 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.

      Published: 6/19/2013 12:07:22 PM
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    • Iraqi Shi'ites flock to Assad's side as sectarian split widens

      BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Among the Iranian pilgrims, foreign executives and tourists in the departure lounge at Baghdad airport, a group of young Iraqis prepare to wage religious war in Syria - not for the rebels trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad but against them.
      Published: 6/19/2013 12:03:40 PM
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    • Protests continue in Sao Paulo, troops sent to 5 Brazilian cities

      SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Demonstrators blocked a major highway and other roads in Sao Paulo on Wednesday, crippling transportation in Brazil's largest city and financial hub, in an ongoing wave of protests against poor public services, inflation and police violence.

      Published: 6/19/2013 11:52:40 AM
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    • Turkish government, protesters seek to draw sting from unrest

      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.
      Published: 6/19/2013 11:45:38 AM
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    • Syrians turn to dollar as local currency tumbles

      AMMAN (Reuters) - Since the latest nosedive in the Syrian currency, Damascus shopkeeper Aboud Katebee can no longer put price stickers on the imported chocolate bars he sells in the middle class Jaramana neighborhood.
      Published: 6/19/2013 11:41:50 AM
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    • Greek coalition parties meet to try to settle state TV row

      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.

      Published: 6/19/2013 11:29:34 AM
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    • Bombs destroy police station in Libya's Benghazi

      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.
      Published: 6/19/2013 11:27:35 AM
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    • Germany agrees financing of 8 billion euro flood aid fund

      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.

      Published: 6/19/2013 11:11:39 AM
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    • UAE will try 30 Emiratis, Egyptians for illegal Brotherhood cell

      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.
      Published: 6/19/2013 11:06:50 AM
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    • Mozambique's Renamo threatens to paralyze vital coal railway

      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.

      Published: 6/19/2013 10:07:43 AM
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    • Hamas says its Iran ties worsen over Syrian civil war

      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.
      Published: 6/19/2013 10:01:23 AM
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    • Putin criticizes U.S. over missile defenses

      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.

      Published: 6/19/2013 09:59:38 AM
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    • Kurdish rebel commander warns Turkish state sabotaging peace

      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.
      Published: 6/19/2013 09:50:27 AM
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    • North Korea repeats offer for nuclear talks

      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.
      Published: 6/19/2013 09:40:35 AM
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    • Europe faces uphill battle over youth unemployment

      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.
      Published: 6/19/2013 09:26:28 AM
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    • Nigeria bans satellite phones in Islamist battleground

      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.

      Published: 6/19/2013 09:17:12 AM
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    • Syrian rebels launch attack to block northern highway

      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.

      Published: 6/19/2013 09:07:45 AM
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    • Blast hits Syrian port city of Latakia

      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.

      Published: 6/19/2013 08:42:50 AM
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    • UK says soldier deaths' court ruling will hit combat missions

      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.
      Published: 6/19/2013 08:37:43 AM
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    • Pirates attack ship off Nigeria, kidnap four: sources

      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.
      Published: 6/19/2013 08:13:26 AM
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    • Bulgaria removes state security boss after protests

      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.
      Published: 6/19/2013 08:11:04 AM
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    • Suicide bomber embraces and kills Sunni politician in Iraq

      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.
      Published: 6/19/2013 08:08:42 AM
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    • Rohani once approved of hiding Iran atomic work

      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."

      Published: 6/19/2013 07:25:27 AM
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    • Dozing prince a cult hero for disenchanted Czechs

      PRAGUE (Reuters) - It was a moment of high drama: the Czech prime minister stood up in parliament to try to salvage a political career torpedoed by the arrest of an aide, and Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, sitting next to him, had dozed off.

      Published: 6/19/2013 06:25:58 AM
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    • China completes Internet, phone monitoring scheme for Tibet

      BEIJING (Reuters) - China has completed a monitoring scheme in restive Tibet that requires all telephone and internet users to register under their real names, state media said on Wednesday, as part of a campaign to crack down on what officials describe as rumors.
      Published: 6/19/2013 06:14:06 AM
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    • A Briton fights with Al Qaeda's offshoot in Syria

      SALQIN, Syria (Reuters) - The moment the young fighter walks in, it's clear he's different. He has a grey robe, a scraggly beard and a gun holster - hallmarks of the rebels who control this part of the northwest. But he wears Adidas trainers. And his accent and swagger are pure London.
      Published: 6/19/2013 05:17:03 AM
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    • China executes official for child rapes after online uproar

      BEIJING (Reuters) - Authorities in central China executed a former Communist Party official for raping 11 underage girls, state media said on Wednesday, following an online uproar about the latest case of abuse of power.
      Published: 6/19/2013 04:24:13 AM
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    • Afghanistan suspends security pact talks with U.S.

      KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai has decided to suspend talks on a security pact with the United States, accusing Washington of mixed messages regarding peace talks with the Taliban, his spokesman said on Wednesday.
      Published: 6/19/2013 04:17:24 AM
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    • Three people killed in northern Yemen bombing: official

      SANAA (Reuters) - Three people were killed and eight wounded in a town in northern Yemen on Wednesday when a suicide bomber riding a motorbike blew himself up in a busy market, a security official said.

      Published: 6/19/2013 04:15:10 AM
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    • Germany's ruling coalition on course for re-election: poll

      BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and their junior coalition partner, the Free Democrats (FDP), are on course to win enough votes to form a narrow majority, a poll showed on Wednesday, before an election on September 22.

      Published: 6/19/2013 03:39:06 AM
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    • Analysis: French EU-wariness complicates life for Hollande

      PARIS (Reuters) - A feeling in France that the European Union no longer works in its interest is fueling tensions between Paris and Brussels and adding pressure on President Francois Hollande to be more assertive in Europe.
      Published: 6/19/2013 01:36:15 AM
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    • Rousseff salutes Brazil protests, cities cut bus fares

      SAO PAULO (Reuters) - President Dilma Rousseff on Tuesday sought to defuse a massive protest movement sweeping Brazil, acknowledging the need for better public services and more responsive governance as demonstrations continued in some cities around the country.
      Published: 6/19/2013 00:43:58 AM
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    • Charges pending against Afghans accused of prison abuse: Australia

      CANBERRA (Reuters) - Afghan authorities will lay charges against officials at a prison run by the country's internal security service, Australia said on Wednesday, just weeks after Canberra blocked prisoner transfers over fears of detainee mistreatment.
      Published: 6/18/2013 22:48:16 PM
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    • WikiLeaks' Assange fears U.S., to stay on in London embassy

      LONDON (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says he will not leave the sanctuary of the Ecuadorean Embassy in London even if Sweden stops pursuing sexual assault claims against him because he fears arrest on the order of the United States.

      Published: 6/18/2013 21:42:08 PM
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    • U.N. recommends bringing Iraq closer to ending 1990s sanctions

      UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday recommended bringing Iraq one step closer to ending all U.N. sanctions imposed on Baghdad more than two decades ago after former leader Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait In 1990.
      Published: 6/18/2013 20:19:46 PM
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    • Obama to prod West to take on global challenges in Berlin speech

      BERLIN (Reuters) - In the city where John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan gave defiant Cold War speeches, President Barack Obama will call on Wednesday for a renewed spirit of activism by the West in tackling 21st century challenges from nuclear proliferation to climate change.

      Published: 6/18/2013 20:02:48 PM
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    • Italian court says Knox murder acquittal had inconsistencies

      ROME (Reuters) - Italy's top court said on Tuesday it had ordered a retrial of American Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend in the murder of British student Meredith Kercher because their acquittals contained "shortcomings, contradictions and inconsistencies."
      Published: 6/18/2013 19:15:59 PM
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    • Four from U.S. forces killed in attack in Afghanistan

      WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Four from U.S. forces were killed in an attack on Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, a U.S. official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity, just as the United States prepares for talks this week with the Taliban.

      Published: 6/18/2013 18:55:02 PM
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    • Rousseff salutes Brazil protests, cities cut bus fares

      SAO PAULO (Reuters) - President Dilma Rousseff on Tuesday sought to defuse a massive protest movement sweeping Brazil, acknowledging the need for better public services and more responsive governance as demonstrations continued in some cities around the country.
      Published: 6/18/2013 18:10:50 PM
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    • Argentine court throws out key part of judicial reform law

      BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina's Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a key part of a judicial reform law championed by President Cristina Fernandez that would have mandated the election of members of the board that chooses federal judges.

      Published: 6/18/2013 18:04:28 PM
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    • Nigeria Islamists kill 9 students in school attack: medic

      MAIDUGURI (Reuters) - Suspected Islamist militants opened fire on a school in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri on Tuesday, killing nine students, witnesses and a medical worker said, the second deadly attack on schools in three days.

      Published: 6/18/2013 17:00:18 PM
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    • Optimism fading, Brazil protests put leaders on alert

      RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - When more than 200,000 protesters took to the streets across Brazil on Monday night, they demanded a dizzying array of improvements - from halting the fast rise of prices to cleaning up government corruption.
      Published: 6/18/2013 16:45:27 PM
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    • Dozens held in Turkey, silent protester goes viral

      ISTANBUL/ANKARA (Reuters) - A lone, silent vigil by a man in Istanbul inspired copycat protests on Tuesday, as police detained dozens of people across Turkey in an operation linked to three weeks of often violent demonstrations against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

      Published: 6/18/2013 16:40:01 PM
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    • G8 urges Syria peace talks as fighting flares in north

      ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Differences between Russia and the West mean an international peace conference on Syria is now unlikely before August, a source at a meeting of Group of Eight leaders said on Tuesday as surging government forces brought heavy fighting to Aleppo.

      Published: 6/18/2013 16:34:16 PM
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    • Russia's Putin torpedoes G8 efforts to oust Assad

      ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - Russia's Vladimir Putin derailed Barack Obama's efforts to win backing for the downfall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad at a G8 summit on Tuesday, warning the West that arms supplied to the rebels could be used for attacks on European soil.

      Published: 6/18/2013 16:10:36 PM
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    • Quake shakes Peru's capital of Lima

      LIMA (Reuters) - A moderate earthquake shook buildings in Peru's capital on Tuesday but there were no reported injuries or damage, Reuters witnesses and safety officials said.

      Published: 6/18/2013 15:57:33 PM
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    • China says Ghana's arrest of its miners will not harm relations

      ACCRA (Reuters) - China is determined that its relations with Ghana will not be undermined by the arrest of some 200 Chinese illegal gold miners in a crackdown by Ghanaian authorities, a senior Beijing Foreign Ministry official said on Tuesday.
      Published: 6/18/2013 15:57:05 PM
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    • Spanish royal tax fraud case founders on mistaken identity

      MADRID (Reuters) - A fraud investigation of Spain's Princess Cristina was thrown into disarray on Tuesday when the Tax Agency said it had been mistaken in reporting she had been the seller of 1.4 million euros ($1.87 million) worth of properties.
      Published: 6/18/2013 15:42:42 PM
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    • Italy court sentences man for school bomb murder

      ROME (Reuters) - An Italian court sentenced a man to life imprisonment on Tuesday for the murder of 16-year-old Melissa Bassi, who died when a homemade bomb exploded outside her school in the southern city of Brindisi in May last year.
      Published: 6/18/2013 15:33:53 PM
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    • U.N. says Libya political exclusion law likely violates rights

      UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A new law in Libya that bans anyone linked to Muammar Gaddafi from government, regardless of their part in toppling the long-time leader, is arbitrary, vague and likely to violate civil and political rights, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
      Published: 6/18/2013 14:48:11 PM
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    • Mali signs deal with Tuareg separatist rebels

      OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - Mali signed a ceasefire deal with Tuareg separatist rebels on Tuesday, paving the way for government troops to return to the northern, rebel-held town of Kidal before a presidential election next month.

      Published: 6/18/2013 14:38:27 PM
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    • Breakaway Argentine mayor could trump ruling party in October vote

      BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - The savvy young mayor of Tigre, Argentina, has fostered a real estate boom, tightened security and brought celebrities to town, boosting his image to the point where pollsters say he poses a challenge to the ruling government.
      Published: 6/18/2013 14:23:51 PM
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    • Israeli general says Palestinians quietly aiding U.S. peace drive

      JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Palestinian administration in the West Bank has tried to help the latest U.S. peacemaking drive by quietly cutting off funds for grassroots campaigners against Israel's occupation of the territory, a senior Israeli general said on Tuesday.
      Published: 6/18/2013 14:19:08 PM
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    • Islamist governor promises safety for Luxor tourists

      CAIRO (Reuters) - Sixteen years ago, Adel Mohamed al-Khayat was a member of the militant group blamed for slaughtering 58 tourists in Egypt's Valley of the Queens; today he's promising to keep visitors safe.

      Published: 6/18/2013 14:17:10 PM
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    • United States to meet Taliban to seek Afghan peace

      WASHINGTON/KABUL (Reuters) - The United States will meet the Taliban this week for talks aimed at achieving peace in Afghanistan, where the United States and the insurgents have fought a bloody and costly war for the past 12 years, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.
      Published: 6/18/2013 13:58:36 PM
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    • North Korea nuclear test still shrouded in mystery

      VIENNA (Reuters) - The outside world may never find out what type of fissile material North Korea used in its nuclear test four months ago, leaving a key question about the explosion unanswered, officials and experts said on Tuesday.

      Published: 6/18/2013 13:22:26 PM
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    • French sailor freed after pirate attack, Nigeria says

      ABUJA (Reuters) - A French sailor was freed on Tuesday after being captured by pirates last week from his ship off the coast of Togo and taken to Nigeria, a military commander said.
      Published: 6/18/2013 13:16:45 PM
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    • Tanzania police fire teargas at protesters near blast site

      DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzanian police fired teargas and warning shots on Tuesday to disperse thousands of people protesting against a weekend bomb attack on an opposition campaign rally, eyewitnesses said.
      Published: 6/18/2013 13:15:47 PM
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    • Biggest protests in 20 years sweep Brazil

      SAO PAULO (Reuters) - As many as 200,000 demonstrators marched through the streets of Brazil's biggest cities on Monday in a swelling wave of protest tapping into widespread anger at poor public services, police violence and government corruption.

      Published: 6/18/2013 12:50:29 PM
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    • Islamist governor promises safety for Luxor tourists

      CAIRO (Reuters) - Sixteen years ago, Adel Mohamed al-Khayat was a member of the militant group blamed for slaughtering 58 tourists in Egypt's Valley of the Queens; today he's promising to keep visitors safe.
      Published: 6/18/2013 12:46:30 PM
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    • Bosnian Serb president relents over urgent Croatia border deal

      SARAJEVO (Reuters) - The Serb member of Bosnia's presidency agreed on Tuesday to new border rules needed for when neighboring Croatia joins the EU in July, reversing his position from Monday when he rejected the deal.
      Published: 6/18/2013 12:36:54 PM
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    • 'Taliban is ready to talk peace' with Afghan state: Afghan official

      KABUL (Reuters) - The Taliban is willing to consider peace talks with the Afghan state following secret discussions, a senior Afghan official said on Tuesday, in what may be the first significant step towards an end to the long-running war.

      Published: 6/18/2013 12:32:39 PM
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    • Analysis: Saudi role in Syria driven by fear of Shi'ite 'full moon'

      RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief, Prince Muqrin, once told American diplomats the Middle East's so-called Shi'ite Crescent where the Muslim sect holds sway was "becoming a full moon" as Iranian influence spread.
      Published: 6/18/2013 12:18:34 PM
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    • Suicide bomber kills 30 at funeral in Pakistan

      PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed 30 people, including a provincial legislator, gathered for the funeral of a businessman in northern Pakistan on Tuesday, police said.
      Published: 6/18/2013 11:53:56 AM
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    • Italian court says Knox murder acquittal had inconsistencies

      ROME (Reuters) - Italy's top court said on Tuesday it had ordered a re-run of the Meredith Kercher murder trial because the acquittal of American Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend contained "shortcomings, contradictions and inconsistencies".
      Published: 6/18/2013 11:30:54 AM
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    • Seven soldiers killed in Mozambique weapons store assault

      MAPUTO (Reuters) - Seven soldiers were shot dead when gunmen raided a weapons depot in Mozambique, local newspapers and a security source said on Tuesday, the latest ambush and attack on security forces to rekindle memories of the 1975-1992 civil war.
      Published: 6/18/2013 11:25:18 AM
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    • Russia: Chance for progress on Iran nuclear issue must be seized

      MOSCOW (Reuters) - Iran has taken constructive steps toward compromise in the decade-old standoff over its nuclear program and world powers should reciprocate, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in remarks published on Tuesday.
      Published: 6/18/2013 11:04:43 AM
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    • Tunisian court jails Salafists for burning Sufi shrine

      TUNIS (Reuters) - A Tunisian court has sentenced six radical Islamists to five years in prison for burning a Sufi Muslim shrine in one of a spate of attacks that have highlighted rising militancy in the country that ignited the Arab Spring.
      Published: 6/18/2013 10:52:06 AM
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    • Iceland received informal approach over Snowden seeking asylum

      REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Iceland has received an informal approach from an intermediary who says Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who exposed the U.S. government's secret surveillance programs, wants to seek asylum there.
      Published: 6/18/2013 10:44:25 AM
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    • Bulgaria proposes electoral changes to soothe public anger

      SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's Socialists, in power for only three weeks at the head of a fragile government, promised on Tuesday to reform the electoral law in a bid to defuse the street protests that have resumed with new momentum despite last month's election.
      Published: 6/18/2013 10:18:07 AM
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    • Mali says reaches deal with Tuareg rebels

      OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - Mali is ready to sign a deal with Tuareg separatist rebels on Tuesday, paving the way for Malian government troops to return to the rebel-held northern town of Kidal ahead of an election next month, Mali's chief negotiator said.
      Published: 6/18/2013 09:37:22 AM
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    • Kuwait hangs two Egyptian men for murder and rape

      KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait hanged two Egyptian men on Tuesday, one for murder and the other for abduction and rape, state news agency KUNA reported, in the second set of executions in the Gulf Arab state this year.
      Published: 6/18/2013 09:22:37 AM
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    • Twin suicide bombs kill 29 in Baghdad

      BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two coordinated suicide bombings at a Shi'ite Muslim mosque in Baghdad killed at least 29 worshippers at noon prayers on Tuesday, medics said.

      Published: 6/18/2013 09:17:01 AM
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    • Russia starts delivering $1 billion arms package to Azerbaijan

      MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has begun delivering tanks, artillery cannons and rocket launchers worth $1 billion to Azerbaijan, a Moscow-based defense group said on Tuesday, as the former Soviet republic strengthens its military readiness in the volatile South Caucasus.
      Published: 6/18/2013 09:09:35 AM
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    • Lebanese Sunni Muslim politician warns of state collapse

      BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's main Sunni Muslim political party pleaded with the presidency on Tuesday to prevent "state collapse", blaming the Shi'ite Hezbollah group for dragging the country into the war in neighboring Syria.

      Published: 6/18/2013 09:05:19 AM
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    • Chad arrests suspected member of elephant slaughter gang

      N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - Authorities in Chad have arrested a suspected member of a poaching gang accused of slaughtering nearly 200 elephants and killing five Cameroonian park rangers, the environment minister said on Tuesday.
      Published: 6/18/2013 08:57:11 AM
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    • Karzai announces peace talks as Afghans take over security

      KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan will send a team to Qatar for peace talks with the Taliban, President Hamid Karzai said on Tuesday, as the U.S.-led NATO coalition launched the final phase of the 12-year war with the last round of security transfers to Afghan forces.

      Published: 6/18/2013 08:41:10 AM
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    • Russia opens criminal investigation into Aeroflot executive

      MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian officials have opened a criminal investigation into a deputy head of state-controlled airline Aeroflot on suspicion that he abused his position by selling cheap tickets to travel agents linked to his family.
      Published: 6/18/2013 08:37:34 AM
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    • Battles ahead for Greek PM weakened by state TV crisis

      ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece has avoided the uncertainty of an early election but the standoff over the state broadcaster's closure has weakened the prime minister and deepened mistrust in his fractious coalition.
      Published: 6/18/2013 08:27:32 AM
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    • Arab village in Israel targeted in racial attack

      JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Vandals daubed "Arabs out" graffiti and punctured tires in an Arab village near Jerusalem on Tuesday, targeting a community widely seen in Israel as a showcase for Jewish-Arab coexistence.

      Published: 6/18/2013 08:08:28 AM
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    • Hague court says Kenyan vice president must attend parts of trial

      AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto must appear in person for certain sessions of his trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, but can otherwise carry out his official duties, the court said on Tuesday.
      Published: 6/18/2013 07:56:49 AM
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    • Ethiopia, Egypt tone down talk of war over Nile dam

      ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia and Egypt cooled talk of war on Tuesday and agreed to more dialogue to resolve a row over a giant dam that the Horn of Africa nation is building on the Nile, on which Egyptians depend on for almost all their water.

      Published: 6/18/2013 07:34:40 AM
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    • Mali says reaches deal with Tuareg rebels

      OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - Mali has reached a deal with Tuareg separatist rebels paving the way for Malian government troops to return to the rebel-held northern town of Kidal ahead of planned elections in July, Mali's chief negotiator said on Tuesday.
      Published: 6/18/2013 07:33:41 AM
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    • Belgian who says she is king's daughter asks him to testify

      BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A woman who says she is the unrecognized daughter of Belgian King Albert II has summoned the monarch and two of his children to appear in a Brussels court in her bid to prove he is her father, her lawyer said on Tuesday.

      Published: 6/18/2013 07:29:44 AM
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    • Assad foes cannot set conditions for Syria talks: Russia

      MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Syrian opposition must not be allowed to set conditions for attending a peace conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in comments published on Tuesday.
      Published: 6/18/2013 07:24:15 AM
      •  

    • Cambodian garment workers charged over strike violence

      PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Sixteen Cambodian garment workers and union representatives have been charged with inciting violence and damaging property during a strike for higher pay at a factory making clothes for U.S. sportswear company Nike, a lawyer said on Tuesday.
      Published: 6/18/2013 07:03:24 AM
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    • Five soldiers killed in Mozambique weapons store assault

      MAPUTO (Reuters) - Five soldiers were shot dead when gunmen raided a weapons store in Mozambique, local newspapers said on Tuesday, the latest ambush and attack on security forces to rekindle memories of the 1975-1992 civil war.
      Published: 6/18/2013 05:09:34 AM
      •  

    • Hungarian man, 98, charged with World War II crimes: prosecutors

      BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian prosecutors on Tuesday charged a 98-year-old man who tops the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center's wanted list with war crimes, saying he had helped to deport Jews to Auschwitz in World War Two.

      Published: 6/18/2013 05:03:51 AM
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    • Explosion in Kabul coincides with Afghan security handover

      KABUL (Reuters) - A bomb targeted a senior Shia Muslim cleric in the west of Kabul on Tuesday, police said, shortly before the international military coalition marked its final handover of security to national forces.
      Published: 6/18/2013 04:16:35 AM
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    • Israel has frozen new building in settlements: minister

      JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has frozen nearly all housing starts in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Housing Minister Uri Ariel said on Tuesday, in an apparent bid to help U.S. efforts to revive peace talks with the Palestinians.

      Published: 6/18/2013 04:14:42 AM
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    • China arrests man for seeking repeat of Tiananmen protest

      BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese authorities have formally arrested a man for trying to stage a repeat of the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protest, his wife said on Tuesday, signaling an increasing intolerance for dissent under Communist Party rule.
      Published: 6/18/2013 03:35:40 AM
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    • U.S. right to arm Syrian rebels, says Israeli president

      JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli President Shimon Peres has thrown his weight behind U.S. plans to arm Syrian rebels, shrugging off fears the weapons could be turned on Israel and exacerbate the conflict.

      Published: 6/17/2013 23:10:39 PM
      •  

    • Obama sees Iran's election of moderate as hopeful sign

      WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Monday that Iran's election of a moderate as its next president is a sign that Iranians want to move in a different direction, but he was uncertain whether it would lead to a breakthrough over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
      Published: 6/17/2013 23:05:49 PM
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    • Putin faces isolation over Syria as G8 ratchets up pressure

      ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin faced further isolation on the second day of a G8 summit on Tuesday as world leaders lined up to pressure him into toning down his support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

      Published: 6/17/2013 19:46:03 PM
      •  

    • Peru protesters push to stop $5 billion Newmont mine

      PEROL LAKE, Peru (Reuters) - Thousands of opponents of a $5 billion gold project of Newmont Mining circled a lake high in the Andes on Monday, vowing to stop the company from eventually draining it to make way for Peru's most expensive mine.
      Published: 6/17/2013 19:26:07 PM
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    • Protests build in Brazil as discontent spreads

      SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of Brazil's biggest cities on Monday in a growing protest that is tapping into widespread anger at poor public services, police violence and government corruption.
      Published: 6/17/2013 18:49:02 PM
      •  

    • Italy's 5-Star seeks expulsion of rebel who criticized founder

      ROME (Reuters) - Lawmakers from Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement agreed on Monday to hold an online vote on the expulsion of a senator who publicly attacked its founder, Beppe Grillo, raising the risk of a split in the group.

      Published: 6/17/2013 18:38:47 PM
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    • Power crisis fears unnerve industry in booming Philippines

      MANILA (Reuters) - An electricity outage that blacked out large swathes of the Philippines' main island of Luzon for up to eight hours last month has highlighted worries about a potential power crisis that could undermine Asia's fastest-growing economy.
      Published: 6/17/2013 18:12:44 PM
      •  

    • Greek court orders state TV reopened, PM offers compromise

      ATHENS (Reuters) - A Greek court ruled that shuttered state broadcaster ERT must reopen immediately, a court official said on Monday, offering the squabbling ruling coalition a way out of a political crisis over the station's abrupt closure.

      Published: 6/17/2013 16:24:01 PM
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    • Defense cuts 'hollowing out' European armies: U.S. envoy

      BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Most European allies are "hollowing out" their armies as they slash Defense spending, casting doubt on whether Europe can remain a viable military partner of the United States, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to NATO said on Monday.
      Published: 6/17/2013 16:23:10 PM
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    • Iran's Rohani hopes all will seize chance of friendly ties

      DUBAI (Reuters) - President-elect Hassan Rohani held out the prospect on Monday of better relations between Iran and the world, including the United States, and progress on resolving the nuclear dispute.

      Published: 6/17/2013 15:09:45 PM
      •  

    • Bosnian Serb president rejects urgent border deal with Croatia

      SARAJEVO (Reuters) - The Serbian part of Bosnia's presidency - which is shared between three ethnic groups - has rejected border regulations that are due to come into force when neighboring Croatia joins the EU next month.
      Published: 6/17/2013 14:59:19 PM
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    • Nigeria says 11 killed in Islamist sect school attack

      MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Seven students, two teachers and two insurgents were killed when suspected members of Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram attacked a school in the northeastern town of Damaturu, the military said.

      Published: 6/17/2013 14:53:49 PM
      •  

    • Czechs begin horse-trading over choice for new PM

      PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas formally handed in his resignation on Monday after a bribery and spying scandal that centred on an aide, but it will take at least a week of horse-trading before a replacement is put forward.
      Published: 6/17/2013 14:20:49 PM
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    • Putin, Obama face off over Syria; rebels get Saudi missiles

      ENISKILLEN, Northern Ireland/DUBAI (Reuters) - Rebels fought to halt an advance by President Bashar al-Assad's forces into northern Syria on Monday while U.S. President Barack Obama faced a showdown with Russia's Vladimir Putin over Obama's decision last week to arm the insurgents.

      Published: 6/17/2013 14:15:45 PM
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    • Insecurity in Congo copper province a "serious concern": U.N

      KINSHASA (Reuters) - Security in Congo's copper-mining heartland of Katanga is a "very serious concern" that must be tackled politically and militarily, the outgoing head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission said on Monday.
      Published: 6/17/2013 14:10:25 PM
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    • Iran nuclear program advances despite sanctions: IAEA chief

      VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran is making "steady progress" in expanding its nuclear program and international sanctions do not seem to be slowing it down, the U.N. nuclear agency chief told Reuters on Monday.
      Published: 6/17/2013 13:48:07 PM
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    • Merkel defends Internet surveillance before Obama visit

      BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel defended government monitoring of Internet communications on Monday, saying a day before President Barack Obama visits Berlin that Washington's cyber-snooping had helped prevent attacks on German soil.
      Published: 6/17/2013 13:19:43 PM
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    • Analysis: Change to come slowly after election of Iranian moderate

      DUBAI (Reuters) - The victory of a moderate in Iran's presidential election has kindled the hopes of liberals for a return to the "golden years" of reformist president Mohammad Khatami, when Iranians enjoyed more freedoms and Tehran had better relations with the West.

      Published: 6/17/2013 13:14:07 PM
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    • Gaddafi officials acquitted but stay behind bars

      TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Two former top associates of Libya's Muammar Gaddafi were acquitted on Monday of wasting public money, but remained in jail as part of a bigger investigation involving his spy chief and one of his sons.
      Published: 6/17/2013 13:12:13 PM
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    • Turkey could deploy army to quell protests

      ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's deputy prime minister said on Monday the armed forces could be called up if needed to help quell popular protests that have swept Turkish cities in the last two weeks, the first time the possibility of a military role has been raised.

      Published: 6/17/2013 12:49:58 PM
      •  

    • Protests to give new turn to Egypt revolution

      Millions hope so, it seems; they have signed a national petition demanding the president resign and plan to take to the streets on June 30, when Mohamed Mursi marks a year in office.

      Published: 6/17/2013 12:48:01 PM
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    • Indonesia MPs seal fuel price hike after backing help for poor

      JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's parliament paved the way on Monday for a jump in gasoline and diesel prices after months of delay that have undermined confidence in the government and the ability of Southeast Asia's biggest economy to continue growing rapidly.
      Published: 6/17/2013 12:46:34 PM
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    • Iranian discontent unlikely to bring nuclear change: Israel

      JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Iran's election has exposed popular discontent with the Tehran government but is unlikely to bring about any change in Iranian nuclear policy, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Reuters on Monday.

      Published: 6/17/2013 12:27:17 PM
      •  

    • Portuguese teachers boycott exams in anti-austerity strike

      LISBON (Reuters) - Thousands of teachers across Portugal walked away from final exams held at secondary schools on Monday to protest against planned spending cuts in education, leaving many pupils unable to take the tests, unions said.

      Published: 6/17/2013 12:21:47 PM
      •  

    • Guinea's June 30 poll date no longer possible: elections body

      CONAKRY (Reuters) - A repeatedly delayed parliamentary election meant to seal Guinea's transition to civilian rule will have to be postponed again after the government and opposition failed to agree on how to run the vote, a spokesman for the elections commission said.
      Published: 6/17/2013 11:38:10 AM
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    • Indonesia MPs approve package paving way for fuel price hike

      JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's parliament approved compensation measures for the poor on Monday that the government has demanded before it would agree to cut costly fuel price subsidies which are blamed for undermining confidence in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.
      Published: 6/17/2013 11:14:29 AM
      •  

    • Bulgarian PM vows transparency on security chief issue

      SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's prime minister pledged on Monday to seek wide public support in picking a new head of state security after street protests forced the two-week old Socialist-led government to ditch its original candidate.

      Published: 6/17/2013 11:01:18 AM
      •  

    • South Africa's Mandela 'doing very well': daughter

      JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Former South African president Nelson Mandela, who is being treated in hospital for a lung infection, is "doing very well", his daughter said on Monday.

      Published: 6/17/2013 10:29:25 AM
      •  

    • Russia says it will not allow Syria no-fly zones

      MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia, a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council, will not permit no-fly zones to be imposed over Syria, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Monday.
      Published: 6/17/2013 10:24:46 AM
      •  

    • Pope Francis meets Venezuelan President Maduro

      VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis met Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday for the first time since Maduro won a narrow and disputed election victory to succeed late Socialist leader Hugo Chavez.
      Published: 6/17/2013 09:55:37 AM
      •  

    • Bidding for EU talks, Serbia swaps envoys with Kosovo

      BELGRADE/PRISTINA (Reuters) - Serbia and its former province of Kosovo exchanged envoys on Monday for the first time since a 1998-99 war, a step loaded with symbolism for the Balkan neighbors as the European Union considers whether to set Belgrade on the path to membership.

      Published: 6/17/2013 09:53:08 AM
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    • Iran court summons Ahmadinejad, ups pressure on outgoing leader

      DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was summoned on Monday to appear before a criminal court on unspecified charges leveled by a conservative rival, days after moderate cleric Hassan Rohani was elected his successor.

      Published: 6/17/2013 09:08:14 AM
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    • Kenyan police kill suspected militant in raid, seize arms

      MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) - Kenyan police said on Monday they had shot dead a suspected supporter of the Somali militant group al Shabaab during a gunfight and said he had been plotting attacks in the country.
      Published: 6/17/2013 08:22:12 AM
      •  

    • North Korea wants to hold high-level talks with U.S.

      SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea on Sunday offered high-level talks with the United States to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, but the White House said that any talks must involve Pyongyang taking action to show it is moving toward scrapping its nuclear weapons.

      Published: 6/17/2013 08:00:16 AM
      •  

    • UK says 'no progress' in Assange talks with Ecuador

      LONDON (Reuters) - Talks between Britain and Ecuador ended with no breakthrough over Julian Assange, the British Foreign Office said on Monday, nearly a year after the WikiLeaks founder fled to the Ecuadorean embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden.

      Published: 6/17/2013 07:53:29 AM
      •  

    • Ashton says to keep urging Iran on nuclear program

      BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Monday she will continue to urge Iran to build confidence in its nuclear program after the election of moderate cleric Hassan Rohani as its new president.
      Published: 6/17/2013 07:38:56 AM
      •  

    • Indonesian parliament could pave way Monday for fuel price hikes

      JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's parliament debated measures on Monday to open the way for a jump in fuel prices after months of delay that have undermined confidence in the government and the ability of Southeast Asia's biggest economy to continue rapid growth.

      Published: 6/17/2013 07:37:52 AM
      •  

    • Greek PM faces allies, court on state TV closure

      ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras faced a double challenge on Monday from coalition partners furious over the shutdown of state broadcaster ERT and a court hearing that could put the shuttered station back on air.
      Published: 6/17/2013 07:35:49 AM
      •  

    • Obama urges youth to make Northern Ireland peace permanent

      BELFAST (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Monday urged young people in Northern Ireland to finish making "permanent peace" and set an example to other parts of the world stricken by religious conflict, violence and war.

      Published: 6/17/2013 07:24:47 AM
      •  

    • Germany's Merkel 'appalled' by Turkey's response to protests

      BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday she was shocked at Turkey's tough response to anti-government protests but she stopped short of demanding that the European Union call off accession talks with the candidate country.
      Published: 6/17/2013 06:52:10 AM
      •  

    • Putin says West arming Syrian rebels who eat human flesh

      AMMAN/LONDON (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin, arriving in Britain ahead of an international summit set to be dominated by disagreement over the U.S. decision to send weapons to Syria's rebels, said the West must not arm fighters who eat human flesh.
      Published: 6/17/2013 06:20:48 AM
      •  

    • Czech ruling party seeks replacement for ousted PM

      PRAGUE (Reuters) - The Czech Republic's main ruling party was due to meet on Monday to search for a candidate to succeed Prime Minister Petr Necas who quit on Sunday after a spying and bribery scandal that centered on his closest aide.
      Published: 6/17/2013 05:39:59 AM
      •  

    • Afghan women lose political power as fears grow for the future

      KABUL (Reuters) - A legal requirement that women make up at least a quarter of all provincial elected officials was quietly removed by conservative male parliamentarians, officials said, the latest in a series of decisions undermining advances in women's rights in Afghanistan.

      Published: 6/17/2013 05:32:51 AM
      •  

    • China pressured U.S. university to make him leave, dissident says

      NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chen Guangcheng, the Chinese dissident who fled his home country to become a visiting scholar at New York University, accused the school on Sunday of asking him to leave because of "unrelenting pressure" from China.

      Published: 6/17/2013 04:11:00 AM
      •  

    • Iranians count on president-elect Rohani to bring change

      DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian president-elect Hassan Rohani, who won a landslide victory promising better relations abroad and more freedom at home, on Sunday paid his first visit since the vote to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who will ultimately decide the pace of any change.

      Published: 6/17/2013 00:28:02 AM
      •  

    • Indonesian parliament could pave way Monday for fuel price hikes

      JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's parliament could pass measures on Monday paving the way for a 33 percent rise in the country's fuel prices to reduce a government subsidy bill that has cast a shadow over Southeast Asia's biggest economy.
      Published: 6/16/2013 23:13:38 PM
      •  

    • Peru Humala's approval rating slips for fourth straight month

      LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian President Ollanta Humala's approval rating fell in June for the fourth straight month to nearly the lowest level of his term, due in part to his refusal to pardon jailed former President Alberto Fujimori, according to a poll released on Sunday.
      Published: 6/16/2013 21:26:17 PM
      •  

    • Mandela getting better but remains 'serious'

      JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Nelson Mandela continues to recover in hospital from a lung infection but remains in a serious condition, South African President Jacob Zuma said on Sunday.

      Published: 6/16/2013 20:49:35 PM
      •  

    • Obama, Putin face tough talks on Syria at G8 summit

      LOUGH ERNE, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will seek the help on Monday of Russia's Vladimir Putin, Syria's most powerful ally, to bring Bashar al-Assad to the negotiating table and end a two-year civil war.
      Published: 6/16/2013 19:04:10 PM
      •  

    • Putin says West arming Syrian rebels who eat human flesh

      AMMAN/LONDON (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin, arriving in Britain ahead of an international summit set to be dominated by disagreement over the U.S. decision to send weapons to Syria's rebels, said the West must not arm fighters who eat human flesh.

      Published: 6/16/2013 18:34:55 PM
      •  

    • Sporadic clashes in Turkey as Erdogan asserts authority

      ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Sporadic clashes between police and protesters flared up in Istanbul overnight after a weekend in which Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan sought to steal back the agenda, rallying his supporters and expelling demonstrators from an Istanbul park.

      Published: 6/16/2013 18:33:51 PM
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    • Egypt's Mursi tightens Islamist grip with governor appointments

      CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi named a member of an Islamist group remembered for a bloody attack on Western tourists in the ancient city of Luxor over a decade ago as governor of that province on Sunday.
      Published: 6/16/2013 18:11:57 PM
      •  

    • Niger police 'attack' may be guards' over-reaction: minister

      NIAMEY (Reuters) - An inquiry into shooting at a military police academy in Niger's capital Niamey found no evidence of an attack on the camp, suggesting it could have been an over-reaction by nervous guards, the foreign minister said on Sunday.
      Published: 6/16/2013 18:09:20 PM
      •  

    • Czech prime minister steps down after graft scandal

      PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas was forced to quit on Sunday by a graft and spying scandal involving his closest aide, pitching the European Union member state into a period of uncertainty over who will form the next government.
      Published: 6/16/2013 17:55:22 PM
      •  

    • Far-right candidate pushes out Socialist in French by-election

      BORDEAUX, France (Reuters) - A far-right candidate beat France's ruling Socialist party on Sunday to a place in a by-election run-off vote, reducing the government's slim parliamentary majority and highlighting the rise of the National Front.
      Published: 6/16/2013 17:32:16 PM
      •  

    • UK spied on G20 officials in London: report

      LONDON (Reuters) - Britain intercepted phone calls and monitored computers used by officials taking part in two high-level international finance meetings in London in 2009, a British newspaper said on Sunday.

      Published: 6/16/2013 17:30:46 PM
      •  

    • Iranians count on president-elect Rohani to bring change

      DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian president-elect Hassan Rohani, who won a landslide victory promising better relations abroad and more freedom at home, on Sunday paid his first visit since the vote to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who will ultimately decide the pace of any change.
      Published: 6/16/2013 17:21:06 PM
      •  

    • Israel toughens law against anti-Palestinian vandals

      JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel approved new measures on Sunday against Jewish ultranationalists who vandalise Palestinian property in a drive to mire security forces in sectarian violence in the occupied West Bank.
      Published: 6/16/2013 16:28:29 PM
      •  

    • Bulgarians rally against government in power for two weeks

      SOFIA (Reuters) - Thousands of Bulgarian protesters demanded the resignation of their new Socalist-led government on Sunday, but the prime minister dismissed the prospect of stepping down as "highly irresponsible" and "destabilising".

      Published: 6/16/2013 16:17:30 PM
      •  

    • Ring row: Kremlin says Super Bowl ring was a gift to Putin

      LONDON (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin's opponents often brand him a "thief" at street protests. Now the Kremlin is dismissing an American football team owner's account of how the Russian president ended up with his diamond-encrusted Super Bowl ring when they met eight years ago.
      Published: 6/16/2013 16:01:25 PM
      •  

    • Kuwait court dissolves parliament, orders new vote

      KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait's constitutional court dissolved parliament on Sunday and called for fresh elections under a voting system rejected by the opposition, a move that could bring more volatility to a Gulf Arab state hit by extraordinary street protests last year.

      Published: 6/16/2013 15:46:56 PM
      •  

    • Greek PM dismisses talk of early election over TV closure

      ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Sunday dismissed talk of an early election over the abrupt closure of the state broadcaster, which brought protests from viewers, workers, the opposition and his coalition partners.

      Published: 6/16/2013 15:14:26 PM
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    • Merkel's challenger wells up after yet more strife

      BERLIN (Reuters) - Peer Steinbrueck, the main opposition challenger to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, choked up during an interview on Sunday when he was asked about what motivated him to carry on despite all the pressure and criticism of his campaign.

      Published: 6/16/2013 14:56:45 PM
      •  

    • German spy agency plans to boost Internet monitoring: Spiegel

      BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's foreign intelligence agency (BND) plans to spend 100 million euros expanding its monitoring of the Internet, the weekly Der Spiegel reported on Sunday, saying the money would go on staff and technology.
      Published: 6/16/2013 14:39:39 PM
      •  

    • North Korea wants to hold high-level talks with U.S.

      SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea on Sunday offered high-level talks with the United States to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, but the White House said that any talks must involve Pyongyang taking action to show it is moving toward scrapping its nuclear weapons.

      Published: 6/16/2013 14:30:57 PM
      •  

    • Sudan, South Sudan to take steps to lower oil tension

      CAIRO (Reuters) - Sudan and South Sudan are prepared to take steps, brokered by the African Union, to try to avert an oil crisis between them amid accusations from both sides that the other is supporting insurgencies in their territories.
      Published: 6/16/2013 14:27:50 PM
      •  

    • Car bombs, shootings kill 30 across Iraq

      BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Attacks across Iraq targeting mainly Shi'ite Muslims killed at least 30 people on Sunday, police and medics said, intensifying fears of a descent into all-out sectarian war.

      Published: 6/16/2013 13:31:46 PM
      •  

    • Al Qaeda group confirms death of Abou Zeid and another leader

      NOUAKCHOTT (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's North African wing (AQIM) on Sunday confirmed the death of two of its senior commanders in Mali earlier this year, veteran jihadist Abdelhamid Abou Zeid and brigade commander Abdallah Al Chinguetti, Mauritania's ANI news agency said.
      Published: 6/16/2013 13:20:05 PM
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    • Rebel brigades check loyalist advances in Aleppo: opposition

      AMMAN (Reuters) - Rebel brigades fought Hezbollah-backed forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in and around Syria's commercial hub of Aleppo on Sunday, trying to claw back territory lost to an assault that threatens the opposition's grip on the city, activists said.
      Published: 6/16/2013 13:11:17 PM
      •