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Russia's Putin torpedoes G8 efforts to oust Assad

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:42:36 +0100

By Andrew Osborn and Maria Golovnina 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. After two days of intense talks that fell far short of what Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron had been hoping for, Putin fumed against Western moves to supply weapons to rebels while defending his own supplies of arms for Assad. ...

Rousseff salutes Brazil protests, cities cut bus fares

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:10:47 +0100

By Todd Benson 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. Speaking the morning after more than 200,000 Brazilians marched in over a half-dozen cities, Rousseff said her government remains committed to social change and is listening attentively to the many grievances expressed at the demonstrations. "Brazil woke up stronger today," Rousseff said in a televised speech in ...

Rousseff vows to listen to Brazil's angry protesters

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:42:32 +0100

President Dilma Rousseff vowed Tuesday to listen to youths staging Brazil's biggest protests in 20 years in an outpouring of anger over the huge cost of staging events like the World Cup.

G8: Syria Statement Omits Anti-Assad Calls

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:25:03 +0100

G8 leaders have agreed to work towards peace talks to end the Syrian civil war but their statement stopped short of demanding President Bashar al Assad's removal from power.

U.N. says Libya political exclusion law likely violates rights

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:51:19 +0100

By Michelle Nichols 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. U.N. special envoy to Libya, Tarek Mitri, told the U.N. Security Council that while it was "undeniable" the law had significant political support, the implementation of it risked further weakening Libya's already shaky state institutions. ...

Breakaway Argentine mayor could trump ruling party in October vote

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:25:48 +0100

By Guido Nejamkis 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. Sergio Massa, 41, served as President Cristina Fernandez's cabinet chief for less than a year between 2008 and 2009. He resigned after she stepped up state intervention in the economy, but he stuck with the ruling party during the 2011 elections. This year, however, is different. ...

Islamist governor promises safety for Luxor tourists

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:16:40 +0100

By Asma Alsharif and Tom Perry 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. Khayat's appointment by President Mohamed Mursi as governor of the city of Luxor has triggered howls of protest, with demonstrators protesting for a second day on Tuesday and one critic calling it "the last nail in the coffin of tourism". ...

France's Hollande open to Iranian presence at Syria talks

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:18:37 +0100

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday opened the door to Iran attending a Syria peace conference, but reiterated that there was no future for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Global leaders called for the so-called Geneva 2 talks to be held as soon as possible to end the Syrian civil war but they avoided mentioning the fate of Assad in a final G8 summit communique in Northern Ireland. ...

Analysis: Hezbollah takes Syrian centre-stage, yet remains in shadows

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:13:17 +0100

By Dominic Evans BEIRUT (Reuters) - The voice crackling over the Hezbollah radios was clear and authoritative, and the guerrillas poised to attack the Syrian border town of Qusair recognized it immediately. "As I promised you victory before, I pledge you victory now," Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said, launching a battle in which his fighters decisively defeated rebels trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad. Nasrallah told his troops that God was fighting alongside them, one of the fighters told Reuters. "When we heard his voice, we were ready to fight the whole world," he ...

Rousseff praises Brazil protests, says committed to change

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:56:53 +0100

By Todd Benson SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Tuesday sought to defuse a massive protest movement sweeping the country, acknowledging the need for better public services and more responsive governance at all levels. Speaking the morning after an estimated 200,000 Brazilians marched in more than a half-dozen cities nationwide, Rousseff said her government remains committed to social change and is listening attentively to the many grievances expressed at the demonstrations. "Brazil woke up stronger today," Rousseff said in a televised speech in Brasilia. ...

'Taliban is ready to talk peace' with Afghan state - Afghan official

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:37:54 +0100

By Hamid Shalizi 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. "Peace talks will certainly take place between the Taliban and the High Peace Council," said the senior official, referring to the body created by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in 2010 to broker peace with the insurgency. ...

Obama says Afghans must lead on peace process with Taliban

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:37:54 +0100

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said peace in Afghanistan will only come through an Afghanistan-led peace process, and while he commended Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday for taking a courageous step toward peace, Obama said the process will not be easy nor quick. Obama made his comments after officials said the United States will meet the Taliban in Doha for peace talks. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; editing by Jackie Frank)

At G8, Obama says important to build strong opposition in Syria

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:52:58 +0100

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday it was important to build a strong opposition in Syria that could function after Bashar al-Assad loses power. Obama made his comments at the end of the G8 conference, where world leaders called for peace talks to be held as soon as possible to resolve the Syrian civil war but failed to mention the fate of Assad in their final summit communiqué. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; editing by Kate Holton)

Lebanese minister accuses Syria of "ethnic cleansing"

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:26:11 +0100

By Erika Solomon BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have begun ethnically cleansing Sunni Muslims and deliberately pushing refugees across the border into Lebanon, the Lebanese caretaker minister for social affairs said on Tuesday. Assad is battling a Sunni-led revolt in Syria, which he and his father before him have ruled for four decades. He belongs to the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam. ...

Russia's Putin says did not feel isolated at G8

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:20:28 +0100

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking after two days of tense G8 talks on Syria, said on Tuesday he did not feel isolated at the summit despite clashing with leaders on how to resolve Syria's civil war. The Kremlin leader also renewed his criticism of U.S. plans to send weapons to Syrian rebels, adding that some G8 leaders had also expressed doubt that forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons. (Reporting By Alexei Anischuk Writing by Maria Golovnina; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)

Syria-related clashes in Lebanon's Sidon, one dead

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:22:19 +0100

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Militants supporting opposing sides of Syria's civil war clashed in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon on Tuesday, killing one, a security source said, rocking a city where divisions have been simmering for months. Syria's war started with pro-democracy rallies but was suppressed by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. Now majority Sunni Muslim rebels wage war against his armed forces, which are led by Alawites, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam. ...

Chance for progress on Iran nuclear issue must be seized - Russia

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:05:19 +0100

By Steve Gutterman MOSCOW (Reuters) - Iran has taken constructive steps toward compromise in the decade-old standoff over its nuclear programme and world powers should reciprocate, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in remarks published on Tuesday. Iranians elected a new moderate president, Hassan Rohani, on Friday and he held out the prospect on Monday of a thaw in relations between Iran and the world, including the United States, and progress on resolving the nuclear dispute. ...

G8 leaders sidestep fate of Syria's Assad in final communique

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:50:09 +0100

LONDON (Reuters) - G8 leaders failed to mention the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a final communique on Tuesday that called for an end to the bloodshed and peace talks as soon as possible. "We remain committed to achieving a political solution to the crisis based on a vision for a united inclusive and democratic Syria," according to a copy of the final communique seen by Reuters. "We strongly endorse the decision to hold as soon as possible the Geneva conference on Syria," said the communique, which made no mention of Assad. ...

"The Taliban is ready to talk peace" says senior Afghan official

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:24:41 +0100

KABUL (Reuters) - The Taliban have held secret discussions with the Afghan government and are willing to consider peace talks, a senior Afghan official said on Tuesday, in what may be a significant step towards an end to the long-running war. "The peace talks will certainly take place between the Taliban and the High Peace Council," said the senior official, referring to the body created by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in 2010 to broker peace with the insurgency. ...

Former Kosovo deputy PM cleared of corruption

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:40:00 +0100

PRISTINA (Reuters) - A former deputy prime minister of Kosovo was acquitted of corruption on Tuesday, in a blow to EU prosecutors who had charged him as part of a drive to root out graft in the young Balkan country. Three government officials on trial with him were jailed for 8 to 18 months, but Bujar Bukoshi was found not guilty of abuse of office and corruption over a six-month period in 2010. Bukoshi was charged last year following an investigation led by the EU's police and justice mission in Kosovo, known as EULEX, and is one of the most prominent targets of its prosecutors so far. ...

Lebanese Sunni Muslim politician warns of state collapse

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:05:12 +0100

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. Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah militants are openly fighting for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as he battles a 27-month-old Sunni-led revolt. Inter-communal violence has spread to religiously-mixed Lebanese cities and border towns. "Hezbollah is serving Syria and Iran at the expense of the Lebanese," ex-Prime Minister Fouad Siniora told reporters. ...

Lebanese minister accuses Syria of 'ethnic cleansing' of Sunnis

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:05:14 +0100

Karzai announces peace talks as Afghans take over security

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:41:08 +0100

By Dylan Welch and Hamid Shalizi 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. Karzai's announcement was the first possible step forward in the peace process, which has struggled to achieve results despite many attempts, and is likely to be applauded by his Western backers. ...

Hague court says Kenyan vice president must attend parts of trial

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:56:48 +0100

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. Ruto and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, elected on a joint ticket in March, face charges of orchestrating violence after the previous election five years ago, in which 1,200 people were killed. Both deny the charges. ...

Assad foes cannot set conditions for Syria talks: Russia

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:24:09 +0100

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. Despite pressure on President Vladimir Putin at a G8 summit to tone down Russian support for Bashar al-Assad, Lavrov signaled there was no change in Moscow's view that the Syrian leader's exit cannot be a precondition for the peace talks. ...

Syria peace conference unlikely to be before August after G8 clash

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:20:02 +0100

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - An international peace conference aimed at ending the conflict in Syria is unlikely to take place before August after G8 leaders clashed with Russia over the nature of a transitional government, a source familiar with the talks said on Tuesday. "You're close to a seven to one position on Syria and clearly (Vladimir) Putin doesn't hold back with his views," the source said, saying a peace conference in Geneva was unlikely to take place in July. (Reporting By Andrew Osborn; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge)

CA-NEWS Summary

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:19:44 +0100

Putin faces isolation over Syria as G8 ratchets up pressure ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin faced growing 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. Syria was set to dominate the last day of the meeting in a secluded, heavily guarded golf resort in Northern Ireland, with Putin standing firm on his position that forcing out Assad would be disastrous for Syria and the region. ...

Defiant Putin sets himself up as G8 outsider

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:02:03 +0100

Vladimir Putin's participation in the first G8 summit of his new term was supposed to seal his comeback to the global stage as Russia's paramount leader after winning a third presidential term last year.

Putin, Obama face off over Syria; rebels get Saudi missiles

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:12:42 +0100

By Andrew Osborn and Amena Bakr 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. New evidence emerged of escalating foreign support for the rebels, with a Gulf source telling Reuters that Saudi Arabia had equipped fighters for the first time with shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, their most urgent request. ...

Spying: Obama Defends 'Transparent' Operations

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:21:53 +0100

President Barack Obama has defended secret US spying programmes and rejected comparisons with the policies of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.