U.N. sets up human rights probe into Gaza killings, to Israel’s fury
GENEVA (Reuters) – Israel railed against the U.N. Human Rights Council on Friday as it voted to set up a probe into recent killings in Gaza and accused Israel of excessive use of force.
‘Loyal to my revolution’: Despite Venezuela woes, Maduro has diehard fans
CARACAS (Reuters) – Helen Blandin, a 44-year-old single mother, has seen her life crumble in tandem with Venezuela’s devastated economy.
2018 worst year in Syria’s humanitarian crisis: U.N. official
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The humanitarian crisis in Syria is worse this year than ever before in the country’s seven-year-old civil war, a United Nations official said on Friday.
Chilean bishops offer mass resignation over sex abuse scandal
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – In an unprecedented move, all Chile’s bishops offered to resign en masse on Friday after attending a crisis meeting this week with Pope Francis about the cover-up of sexual abuse in the south American nation.
Putin seeks common cause with Merkel over Trump
SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday that he would stand up to any attempts by U.S. President Donald Trump to block a Russian-German gas pipeline project.
Saudi Arabia arrests women activists ahead of lifting of driving ban
DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia has arrested at least five people, mostly women who previously agitated for the right to drive and an end to the kingdom’s male guardianship system, rights activists said on Friday.
French minister comes out as gay to fight homophobia
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s Digital Minister Mounir Mahjoubi has come out as gay, in a rare move for a French public figure that he said would help give gay people more visibility at a time when homophobic acts are on the rise.
Italy’s two maverick parties to boost spending, seek review of EU rules
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s two anti-establishment parties on Friday promised to ramp up spending in a programme for a new coalition government, putting them on a collision course with the European Union despite having dropped some of their most radical p…
Putin, Merkel discuss U.S. withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal
SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he had discussed the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal at talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Sochi.
With school canceled in run-up to vote, Venezuelans flock to beach
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (Reuters) – Gym teacher Francisco Sanchez relaxed under an umbrella in his blue-and-white Speedo, as the light blue surf of the Caribbean sea crashed over a beach just outside Caracas.
