Mexico's drug war bright spot hides dark underbelly

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Inside a notorious Mexican prison where armed convicts used to roam freely, selling drugs and deciding who was allowed in, the state is in control again. Prisoners are back in their cells and the once overcrowded complex sparkles with cleanliness.But outside on the dusty streets of Ciudad Juarez, store owners lock themselves behind their doors, fearful of police and carefully vetting customers to avoid becoming the...

Former President George H. W. Bush stable in hospital

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Former President George H. W. Bush is being treated at a Houston hospital for complications related to bronchitis and is in stable condition, the hospital said on Thursday."President Bush has been in and out of The Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center being treated for complications related to his bronchitis," Bush's office said in a statement released by the hospital. "He is in stable condition, and is expected to be...

Any attack on Iran may lead to withdrawal from NPT: envoy

VIENNA (Reuters) - Any military attack on Iran's nuclear facilities may lead to the country withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a pact designed to prevent the spread of nuclear arms, a senior Iranian official said on Friday.In case of an attack, "there is a possibility that the (Iranian) parliament forces the government to stop the (U.N. nuclear) agency inspections or even in the worse scenario withdraw from the NPT," nuclear envoy...

Syria jets bombard rebel targets on airport road

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian air force jets bombarded rebel targets on Friday close to the Damascus airport road and a regional airline said the violence had halted international flights to the capital.Activists said security forces clashed with rebels trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad around Aqraba and Babilla districts on the southeastern outskirts of the Damascus which lead to the international airport.Internet connections and most telephone...

Palestinians win de facto U.N. recognition of sovereign state

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the world body to issue its long overdue "birth certificate."The U.N. victory for the Palestinians was a diplomatic setback for the United States and Israel, which were joined by only a handful of countries in voting against the move to...

U.N. set for implicit recognition of Palestinian state, despite U.S., Israel threats

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Al-Qaeda urges Mali to reject foreign troops

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Egypt crisis: Assembly rushes to finish constitution

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Mexican beauty queen killed in shootout

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Egypt protests continue in deadlock over Mursi powers

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Saudi diplomat shot dead in Yemen capital Sanaa

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Syria conflict: Twin bomb blasts shake Damascus suburb

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Obama sells budget plans to middle class, biz leaders

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Praise and pressure as Obama begins historic Myanmar visit

YANGON (Reuters) – Barack Obama became the first serving U.S. president to visit Myanmar on Monday, trying during a whirlwind six-hour trip to strike a balance between praising the government’s progress in shaking off military rule and pressing for more reform. Obama’s first stop was a meeting with President Thein Sein, a former junta member who has spearheaded reforms since taking office in March 2011. “I’ve shared with him the fact that I...

More diplomacy to try to halt Israel-Gaza fighting

GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Hostilities between Islamist militants and Israel entered a sixth day on Monday as diplomatic efforts were set to intensify to try to stop rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and Israeli air strikes on Gaza. International pressure for a ceasefire seemed certain to mount after the deadliest single incident in the flare-up on Sunday claimed the lives of at least 11 Palestinian civilians, including four children. Three people,...

Gaza crisis: Israeli air strikes hit Hamas

Israel has targeted the headquarters of Hamas leaders and other key facilities in Gaza, on the fourth day of Israeli air strikes in the territory. Prime Minister Ismail Haniya’s office, which Egypt’s PM had visited on Friday, was among the buildings destroyed. At least 38 Palestinians and three Israelis have died since Israel killed Hamas’s military chief on Wednesday. Israel earlier put 75,000 reservists on stand-by amid speculation of an impending...

U.N. watchdog: Iran makes significant nuclear steps

Iran has made a significant advancement in its nuclear program with the completion of its underground uranium enrichment facility near the holy city of Qom, according to a report released Friday by a United Nations watchdog group. The International Atomic Energy Agency report stated Iran has now installed all of the nearly 2,800 centrifuges it will use to enrich uranium at the Fordow plant, but not all the centrifuges are operational. The IAEA...

Assad says will die in Syria; opposition meets in Doha

DOHA (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad scotched any suggestion he might flee Syria and warned that any Western military intervention to topple him would have catastrophic consequences for the Middle East and beyond. Speaking in an interview with Russia Today (RT) television to be broadcast on Friday, Assad said he did not see the West embarking on a military intervention in Syria and said the cost of such action would be unbearable....

Taliban suicide attack on base in Pakistan's biggest city kills one

KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - A Taliban suicide bomber killed at least one person when he rammed his vehicle into the gates of a military base in Pakistan's largest city on Thursday, police said, the latest in a series of audacious attacks on security forces. Thirteen people were wounded in the explosion, but the attacker was unable to penetrate into the headquarters of the Rangers paramilitary base in the port city of Karachi. ...