MOSCOW – Russia’s highest court has reduced 11-year prison terms for jailed former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his business partner – by two months. The pair had asked the court to overturn their guilty verdicts and release them immediately. The ruling means Khodorkovsky, once Russia’s richest man, is set to be released in August…
WASHINGTON – The US State Department has told citizens and non-emergency government staff to leave Yemen “immediately” due to security threats. It comes after the sudden closure of 20 US embassies and consulates on Sunday. This was prompted by intercepted conversations between two senior al-Qaeda figures, including top leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, US media said. The…
WASHINGTON – The US state department has said it is issuing a global travel alert because of an unspecified al-Qaeda threat. In a statement, the department said the potential for an attack is particularly strong in the Middle East and North Africa. The move comes shortly after the US announced the closure of embassies in…
HOMS – The Syrian regime says it has taken over a rebel stronghold in Homs, inflicting a strategic and psychological blow to rebels in the country’s two-year-long crisis. Government forces took control of the Khalidiya neighborhood of Homs, Syrian state-run TV reported Monday. The area had been under rebel control for about a year. Controlling…
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia’s opposition has rejected the result of Sunday’s elections, citing “serious irregularities”. Names were missing from voter lists and some voters found others had used their ballot, reports said. Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party says it has won by 68 seats to the opposition’s 55. However, Cambodia’s opposition appears…
MOSCOW – Fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden will be given an official pass to leave Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, Russian reports say. Russia’s Federal Migration Service is said to have issued a document, which he is due to receive shortly. He has been staying in transit since arriving from Hong Kong on 23 June. Wanted…
WASHINGTON – The top US military officer has outlined the costs, risks and benefits of possible American military involvement in the Syrian conflict. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen Martin Dempsey offered five military options, including limited strikes and establishing a no-fly zone. But he said using force in Syria would be “no less than…
DETROIT – Detroit has become the largest US city ever to file for bankruptcy, with debts of at least $18bn (£12bn). The city, once a symbol of US industrial power, is seeking protection from creditors who include public-sector workers and their pension funds. Unions described the bankruptcy filing as a power grab. Detroit has faced…
SANTIAGO – Chile’s conservative presidential candidate, Pablo Longueira, has withdrawn from the election campaign. His son, Juan Pablo Longueira, told reporters the politician had been suffering from depression since winning the primary elections. President Sebastian Pinera’s governing alliance is expected to choose Mr Longueira’s replacement on Thursday. Former left wing president Michelle Bachelet is favourite…
WASHINGTON – The US has accused Russia of giving fugitive US intelligence leaker Edward Snowden a “propaganda platform”. President Barack Obama called Vladimir Putin after Mr Snowden met human rights groups at a Moscow airport – his first appearance since fleeing there from Hong Kong three weeks ago. Mr Snowden has been charged with leaking…
