Protest against power plant in S.China escalates: papers (Reuters)

Reuters – Protests in a small town in China appear to have escalated with residents smashing cars and hurling bricks even though officials sought to calm tempers by suspending a plan to build a power plant, Hong Kong newspapers reported on Thursday.  Read More

Cairo calmer as Egyptian election resumes (Reuters)

Reuters – Egypt is holding the latest round of its first democratic parliamentary election on Thursday in relative calm after five days of protests in Cairo that prompted a brutal response from security forces.  Read More

Congo forces kill 24 since vote results: HRW (Reuters)

Reuters – Democratic Republic of Congo security forces have killed 24 people since President Joseph Kabila won a disputed presidential election, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.  Read More

Arab team prepares Syria mission after deadly assault (Reuters)

Reuters – Arab League officials arrive in Syria on Thursday to prepare for monitors overseeing an Arab peace plan, after activists said President Bashar al-Assad’s forces carried out the deadliest assault in their nine-month crackdown on protests.  Read More

Italy’s Monti faces key final vote on austerity (Reuters)

Reuters – Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti faces a confidence vote on Thursday that he called to speed up final approval of a 33-billion-euro ($ 43 billion) austerity package aimed at restoring market confidence in the euro zone’s third-biggest economy.  Read More