U.S. hails Korea talks, despite North’s rejection of denuclearization
SEOUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – North and South Korea held their first talks in over two years on Tuesday, which Washington welcomed as a first step to solving the North Korean nuclear weapons crisis, even though Pyongyang said those were aimed only at th…
Ecuador says exploring mediation to solve Assange standoff
QUITO (Reuters) – Ecuador said on Tuesday it was exploring mediation to solve the standoff over WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been holed up in Ecuador’s Embassy in London for five years, and called for cooperation from the United Kingdom an…
Ex-Catalan President Artur Mas steps down as leader of separatist party
MADRID (Reuters) – Former Catalan president Artur Mas said on Tuesday he would step down as head of his separatist political party to pave the way for new leaders of Catalonia’s independence movement after reports of internal divisions.
Venezuela’s Congress declares ‘petro’ cryptocurrency illegal
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s opposition-run parliament on Tuesday outlawed a “petro” cryptocurrency promoted by socialist President Nicolas Maduro, calling it an effort to illegally mortgage the cash-strapped country’s oil reserves.
Israel to approve hundreds of new settler homes in West Bank
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel will approve construction of hundreds of new settlement homes in the occupied West Bank, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Tuesday.
Yemen’s Houthis threaten to block Red Sea shipping lane
DUBAI (Reuters) – Yemen’s armed Houthi movement threatened to block the strategic Red Sea shipping lane if the Saudi-led coalition it is fighting keeps pushing toward the port of Hodeidah it controls, the Houthi-run SABA news agency reported.
Egypt’s President Sisi wins huge parliamentary support for a second term
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has won the backing of over three-quarters of parliamentarians for a second term as president, lawmakers said on Tuesday, a day after a timeline for the election was announced.
Sweden worried about future of U.S. funds for Palestinian aid agency
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The Swedish ambassador to the United Nations said on Tuesday he is concerned about the Trump administration’s plans to review funding for a humanitarian agency that provides aid to Palestinian refugees.
Nigeria’s Buhari blames communal violence on population growth
ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigeria’s president on Tuesday blamed clashes between Muslim cattle herders and Christian farmers on the clamor for land in the face of a population rapidly approaching 200 million people.
UK plans three-month window after Brexit to start court cases under EU law
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain said on Tuesday it wanted to give businesses and citizens a three-month window after leaving the European Union, during which they can start court cases relating to a breach of EU legal principles.
