U.S.-Taliban talks in Qatar not expected Thursday: source

DOHA (Reuters) - Preliminary Afghan peace talks in Qatar between U.S. and Taliban officials are unlikely to take place on Thursday as had been expected, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

India sets up elaborate system to tap phone calls, e-mail

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India has launched a wide-ranging surveillance program that will give its security agencies and even income tax officials the ability to tap directly into e-mails and phone calls without oversight by courts or parliament, several sources said.

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.

China jails 19 Uighurs for religious extremism

BEIJING (Reuters) - Courts in China's far western region of Xinjiang have sentenced 19 ethnic Uighurs to up to six years in jail for promoting racial hatred and religious extremism online, in the latest crackdown on what China sees as violent separatists.

Sao Paulo, Rio revoke transport fare hikes as protests continue

SAO PAULO/FORTALEZA, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil's two biggest cities agreed on Wednesday to revoke an increase in public transportation fares that set off demonstrations that have grown into nationwide protests against poor public services, inflation and corruption.

Afghan government to shun U.S. talks with Taliban

KABUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Revived Afghan peace talks hit their first roadblock on Wednesday, a day after they were announced, as Afghan President Hamid Karzai said his government would not join U.S. talks with the Taliban and would halt negotiations with Washington on a post-2014 troop pact.

Sao Paulo, Rio revoke transport fare hikes as protests continue

SAO PAULO/FORTALEZA, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil's two biggest cities agreed on Wednesday to revoke an increase in public transportation fares that set off demonstrations that have grown into nationwide protests against poor public services, inflation and corruption.

Myanmar constitution likely to dash Suu Kyi's presidential hopes

YANGON (Reuters) - Her adoring compatriots believe democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi is destined to become Myanmar's next president. But don't bet on it.

Analysis: Brazil's protests: Not quite a 'Tropical Spring'

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's blossoming protest movement is a coming-of-age for what had been one of Latin America's most politically disengaged youth populations, but does not appear to constitute a major threat to governability or established political parties.

Iran says appeals for 'jihad' in Syria fuel radicalism

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Calls by Sunni Muslim clerics for a holy war against the Syrian government and its Shi'ite allies are fuelling radicalism in the region, a senior Iranian official said on Wednesday.

Afghan government to shun U.S. talks with Taliban

KABUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Revived Afghan peace talks hit their first roadblock on Wednesday, a day after they were announced, as Afghan President Hamid Karzai said his government would not join U.S. talks with the Taliban and would halt negotiations with Washington on a post-2014 troop pact.

Magnitude 5.7 quake hits central Chile, no damage reported

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit the central Chilean region of Valparaiso at 5:30 p.m. (1730 ET) on Wednesday, causing buildings to sway in the nearby capital of Santiago but no reports of damage.

U.S. cites Russia, China among worst in human trafficking: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An annual U.S. State Department report on Wednesday cited Russia and China among the world's worst offenders in fighting forced labor and sex trafficking, which could lead to U.S. sanctions.

U.S. talks with Taliban likely to take place within 'next few days': U.S. official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. talks with the Taliban are likely to be held within the "next few days" in Qatar, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday, after delays caused by tensions over the naming of a new Taliban office in the capital, Doha.

Georgia arrests torture suspects in new swipe at old government

TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgian police on Wednesday arrested nine serving and former police and military officers on suspicion of torture that the interior minister said was a "systemic problem" under the previous government of President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Brazil inflation erodes Rousseff's popularity: poll

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Growing discontent over rising prices in Brazil has dragged down President Dilma Rousseff's approval rating from record highs, pollsters said on Wednesday, adding that her popularity could deteriorate further if inflation is not tamed.

Obama challenges Russia to agree to deeper nuclear weapon cuts

BERLIN (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama used a speech in Berlin on Wednesday to call on Russia to revive the push for a world without nuclear weapons, offering to cut deployed nuclear arsenals by a third, but Moscow immediately poured scorn on his proposal.

Russian official says statement on railway chief dismissal was hoax

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A statement announcing that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev had dismissed Russian Railways chief Vladimir Yakunin was a hoax, Medvedev's spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said on Wednesday.

Gyula Horn, the man who tore the Iron Curtain, dies at 80

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Gyula Horn, who as Hungary's last communist foreign minister ripped a hole in the Iron Curtain in 1989, has died at the age of 80 after long illness, the government said on Wednesday.

Greek party leaders to meet Thursday over ERT impasse

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's ruling coalition leaders will meet again on Thursday to resolve an impasse over last week's closure of state broadcaster ERT after failing to reach agreement during talks on Wednesday, PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos said.

Britain fails to get EU backing for Hezbollah blacklisting

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A British drive to put Hezbollah's armed wing on the EU's terror list again ran into resistance on Wednesday from governments concerned it would fuel instability in the Middle East, diplomats said.

Kosovo's first envoy to Serbia quits after two days

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Independent Kosovo's first envoy to Serbia resigned on Wednesday, pre-empting his dismissal just two days into the job for exceeding his powers and making remarks likely to irritate Belgrade.

Czech ruling party backs speaker to be first woman PM

PRAGUE (Reuters) - The ruling Czech Civic Democrats have proposed lower house speaker Miroslava Nemcova as the next prime minister following the resignation of Petr Necas in a corruption scandal, the party said on Wednesday.

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.

Italy's 5-Star expels rebel Senator who criticized leader

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement on Wednesday kicked out a lawmaker for criticizing its leader Beppe Grillo in the latest sign of growing internal strife in the party that took a quarter of votes at February's election.

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.

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.

Italy court rejects bid to block Berlusconi tax fraud verdict

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's constitutional court on Wednesday rejected a bid by Silvio Berlusconi to block a tax fraud conviction from October, clearing the way for a final verdict this year and deepening the uncertainty facing Prime Minister Enrico Letta.

Friends of Syria to meet Saturday in Doha: France

PARIS (Reuters) - The main nations making up the Friends of Syria will meet on Saturday in Doha to discuss assistance for the Free Syrian Army following recent successes by government forces, a French foreign ministry official said.

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.