Turkey dismisses U.S. criticism over conviction of NASA scientist
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey has brushed off criticism by the United States after a NASA scientist was convicted on terrorism charges, saying he had been tried fairly and the decision of the Turkish court should be respected.
Fleeing Venezuelans find work cutting Valentine roses in Colombia
CHIA, Colombia (Reuters) – As millions of Americans prepare to celebrate Valentine’s Day with flowers, many of those blooms will be picked and packaged by Venezuelan migrants working for a minimum wage after fleeing violence and economic collapse in th…
Chilean victim of sexual abuse demands thorough Vatican investigation
ROME (Reuters) – A Chilean victim of clerical sexual abuse who is the key witness in the case of a bishop accused of covering it up says a Vatican investigation must be rigorous and fair if the church is to salvage its reputation on the issue.
End of NAFTA wouldn’t be ‘end of world’: Mexican leftist’s top diplomat
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The collapse of NAFTA would not be a disaster for Mexico, the top foreign policy advisor to leftist presidential election frontrunner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said, adding that Mexico should depend less on the United States a…
Bombing at mosque in Libya’s Benghazi kills two, wounds 75: medics
BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) – Two people were killed and 75 wounded in a twin bombing inside a mosque in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Friday, medics said.
Tillerson sees tough talks with Turkey, others on Mideast trip
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson expects to have tough talks during a five-nation trip of the Middle East next week, including in Turkey, where he will urge leaders to rein in an offensive in northern Syria, U.S. officials s…
German SPD boss drops foreign minister bid to shore up support for coalition
BERLIN (Reuters) – The embattled leader of Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) abruptly gave up plans on Friday to become its next foreign minister, hoping to shore up support among SPD members for a new coalition with Angela Merkel’s conservatives.
Criminal code revamp plan sends chill through Indonesia’s LGBT community
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Zulfikar Fahd, an openly gay man, says he flew from Indonesia to Canada late last month and claimed asylum on grounds that he faced discrimination and persecution in his home country, which is poised to criminalize same-sex relations and consensual sex outside marriage.
Turkish warplanes strike Kurdish militia targets in Syria: army
ISTANBUL/BEIRUT (Reuters) – Turkish warplanes have launched a new wave of bombing of Kurdish militia targets in Syria’s Afrin region, the military said on Friday, and a monitoring group said the strikes killed seven fighters and two civilians.
France presses Russia over Syria as more die in besieged rebel area
BEIRUT/PARIS (Reuters) – France urged Russia to make Syria’s government ease a dire humanitarian crisis in two rebel-held areas as more air strikes pounded them on Friday, adding to the death toll from one of the deadliest weeks of the war.
