Kansai Electric Power Co restarted the 1,180-megawatt No. 3 unit at its Ohi atomic plant, the utility said, Japan's first nuclear reactor to come back online since the Fukushima crisis, despite public safety concerns.
Spain's economy shrank further in the second quarter but looks set to stabilise over the rest of the year while the government continues to push structural reforms and budget austerity, Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said.
Prime Minister David Cameron has raised the prospect of a possible referendum on Britain's future relationship with the European Union, potentially threatening trade with the bloc and opening up another front against the Conservatives' coalition partner.
UN mediator Kofi Annan warned that the conflict in Syria would enflame the Middle East and beyond unless world powers agreed on a peace plan but the United States said foreign ministers meeting in Geneva might fail in that task.
Egypt's first Islamist president, Mohamed Mursi, was sworn in today propelling his Muslim Brotherhood into power after 84 years of struggle, although the military remains determined to call the shots.
Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili named his close ally, Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, as the new prime minister today ahead of parliamentary elections due in October.
A beauty contest for Holocaust survivors stirred deep emotions in Israel, with organizers hailing it an affirmation of life and detractors calling it a macabre spectacle.
About 3.5 million customers were without power in the eastern United States amid a record heat wave after deadly thunderstorms knocked down trees and power lines from Indiana to New Jersey.
Rebel forces attacked Syria's main court in central Damascus, state television said, while Turkey deployed troops and anti-aircraft rocket launchers to the Syrian border, building pressure on President Bashar al-Assad.
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said he was pleased with steps taken at a summit of EU leaders, including a decision to allow direct recapitalisation of banks, but added that future aid must be tied to strict conditions.