Friday 30th July 2010

Reuters World News

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Updated: 16 min 40 sec ago

Serial killer Pickton denied new trial

45 min 56 sec ago

VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Canada's highest court refused on Friday to grant a new trial for serial killer Robert "Willie" Pickton, who was convicted of killing drug addicts and prostitutes and butchering their remains at his pig farm.

Floods kill more than 400 in Pakistan's northwest

1 hour 4 min ago

PESHAWAR (Reuters) - Heavy monsoon rains have triggered the worst floods in decades in Pakistan's northwest, killing more than 400 people and forcing thousands from their homes as authorities struggle to reach stranded villagers.

Italy speaker refuses to resign, deepens crisis

1 hour 6 min ago

ROME (Reuters) - The influential speaker of Italy's lower house refused to step down on Friday after being censured by his own party, and said his supporters could vote against the government of former ally Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Colombia's Santos comes to power very popular-poll

1 hour 31 min ago

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's President-elect Juan Manuel Santos will take over the Andean nation's highest office more popular than the incumbent leader credited with a dramatic fall in violence, an opinion poll showed on Friday.

Syrian and Saudi leaders tackle tension in Lebanon

1 hour 53 min ago

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Saudi King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met Lebanon's rival leaders on Friday to stave off a crisis over a tribunal that may indict Hezbollah members in the killing of Lebanese statesman Rafik al-Hariri.

Wildfires sweeping Russia kill at least 25

2 hours 7 min ago

MASLOVKA, Russia (Reuters) - Forest fires sweeping across European Russia on Friday killed at least 25 people and forced the evacuation of thousands in the hottest weather since records began 130 years ago.

Afghan police fire shots to quell protest after accident

2 hours 36 min ago

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan police fired shots on Friday to disperse hundreds of people protesting the deaths of civilians in an accident involving a U.S. embassy vehicle, police said.

WikiLeaks may have blood on its hands, U.S. says

3 hours 35 min ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks may have blood on its hands, the Pentagon said on Thursday, warning its unprecedented leak of secret U.S. military files could cost lives and damage trust of allies.

U.N. rights body tells Israel to end Gaza blockade

3 hours 45 min ago

GENEVA (Reuters) - Israel must lift its military blockade of the Gaza Strip and invite an independent, fact-finding mission to investigate its raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, a United Nations rights body said on Friday.

Mexican army kills kingpin in drug war coup

4 hours 14 min ago

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican soldiers killed drug boss Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel on Thursday, the first major triumph this year for President Felipe Calderon's war against drug cartels but one that is unlikely to end spiraling violence.

U.N. rights body tells Israel to end Gaza blockade

4 hours 40 min ago

UK former deputy PM doubted Iraq WMD intelligence

4 hours 50 min ago

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's deputy prime minister at the time of the 2003 invasion of Iraq said on Friday he had doubts about intelligence that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, describing some of it as "tittle tattle."

China opposes new EU sanctions on Iran

4 hours 52 min ago

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Friday that it did not approve of tougher new sanctions imposed by the European Union on Iran, and welcomed Tehran's offer to return to negotiations on a nuclear fuel swap without conditions.

Syrian and Saudi leaders to tackle tension in Lebanon

4 hours 53 min ago

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Saudi King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited Lebanon on Friday in a dramatic attempt to avert a crisis over possible indictments of Hezbollah members in the assassination of Lebanese statesman Rafik al-Hariri.

Italy in political turmoil as Berlusconi party implodes

6 hours 19 min ago

ROME (Reuters) - Italy was in political turmoil on Friday after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi dramatically split with his one-time most powerful center-right ally, putting the country at risk of early elections.

Eight killed as wildfires sweep central Russia

6 hours 45 min ago

VORONEZH, Russia (Reuters) - Forest fires swept across central Russia on Friday, killing at least eight people and forcing the evacuation of thousands during the hottest summer since records began 130 years ago.

Mexican army kills kingpin in drug war coup

7 hours 9 min ago

Police question Bettencourt's wealth manager again

7 hours 46 min ago

PARIS (Reuters) - The wealth manager of France's richest woman was again detained for questioning on Friday as part of an investigation into political donations and suspected tax evasion and money laundering, his lawyer said.

Palestinian rocket hits Israeli city

8 hours 52 min ago

ASHKELON, Israel (Reuters) - A rocket fired by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip struck the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon on Friday, causing damage but no injuries, officials said.

China to crack down on pro-Cantonese protesters

9 hours 46 min ago

BEIJING (Reuters) - Authorities in China's southern city of Guangzhou will punish people who try and organize any more protests in support of the Cantonese dialect, a state-run newspaper said on Friday.