Catalan parliament postpones vote on new leader
BARCELONA (Reuters) – Catalonia has postponed until further notice the election of a new regional president after Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that candidate Jordi Sanchez would not be allowed to leave jail to attend a parliamentary session planned for …
Afghan Taliban urge religious scholars to boycott peace conference
KABUL (Reuters) – The Taliban urged Islamic scholars on Saturday not to take part in a conference due to take place in Indonesia aimed at building agreement and support for possible future peace talks in Afghanistan.
Japan MOF to admit altering land sale documents: Kyodo
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s Ministry of Finance will admit altering documents involved in a state-owned land sale, Kyodo News reported on Saturday, in a cronyism scandal that threatens to erode Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s popularity.
Trump’s ex-aide Bannon to address National Front congress in France
PARIS (Reuters) – Former White House strategist Steve Bannon, a champion of Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, will address the party congress of France’s far-right National Front on Saturday, a senior official of the French anti-immigrant party sa…
Myanmar opens murder investigation after men found ‘shot’ in the head
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar police said on Saturday they had opened a murder investigation into the killing of two men that residents say appeared to have been shot in the head after they were detained by soldiers in the conflict-torn north of the count…
In state media, China presents itself as crucial to U.S.-North Korea talks
BEIJING (Reuters) – China helped bring about a dramatic easing of tensions between the United States and North Korea, according state media outlets, adding evidence that the government sees itself as a central player in any agreement despite largely si…
U.S.’s Tillerson ‘not feeling well’, cancels activities in Kenya
NAIROBI (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson canceled scheduled events on Saturday on the second day of a visit to Kenya because “he is not feeling well”, a State Department spokesman said.
Philippines slams U.N. rights chief for ‘disrespectful’ remarks about Duterte
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippine foreign minister hit back on Saturday at the United Nations’ human rights chief for issuing “irresponsible and disrespectful” comments about President Rodrigo Duterte, warning that such remarks could set a dangerous pr…
Mexican leftist seeks to court bankers, to mixed reviews
ACAPULCO (Reuters) – Mexico’s left-wing presidential frontrunner on Friday tried to assuage the fears of a skeptical audience of bankers that he would run a radical economic agenda, vowing not to nationalize, expropriate or drive the country deeper int…
Venezuela’s Maduro calls U.N. rights chief a U.S.-backed ‘tumor’
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan socialist President Nicolas Maduro said on Friday the United Nations human rights chief was a puppet of the United States who had implanted himself like a “tumor” and had no right to criticize Maduro’s handling of the cri…
