U.S. closer to decision on sanctioning Venezuela oil: Tillerson
KINGSTON (Reuters) – The United States is closer to deciding whether to impose sanctions on Venezuelan oil, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday, at the end of a five-nation tour of Latin America where he discussed the move with regi…
Children recount trauma of abduction after mass release by South Sudan rebels
YAMBIO, South Sudan (Reuters) – Bakhita was only 12 years old when rebels snatched her from her family’s farm, adding her to a grim list of almost 19,000 children that the United Nations says have been recruited, often by force, by armed groups in Sout…
South Korea asks U.N. to allow sanctioned North Korea official to attend Olympics
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – South Korea asked the United Nations on Wednesday for an exemption to allow a sanctioned North Korean official to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics on Friday with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s younger sis…
EU lawmakers push for power over appointments, spurn Macron
STRASBOURG (Reuters) – The European Parliament demanded control on Wednesday of who will succeed Jean-Claude Juncker as head of the EU executive next year, setting up a clash with national governments in the coming months.
Exclusive: Cuba grants visa to senior U.S. diplomat to lead Havana embassy
HAVANA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Cuba has given a visa to a senior American diplomat to lead the U.S. embassy in Havana, a U.S. official said, in a sign both nations want to keep open lines of communication despite a sharp deterioration in relations since…
Venezuela government, opposition mediation talks flounder
CARACAS (Reuters) – Mediation talks between Venezuela’s government and opposition have collapsed after their failure to reach agreement over conditions for a presidential election, host Danilo Medina, the president of the Dominican Republic, said on We…
Ukrainian asset declarations reform seen letting corrupt officials off hook
KIEV (Reuters) – Corrupt Ukrainian officials are being let off the hook because verification of their online declarations of income and assets is failing, the head of the anti-corruption bureau said on Wednesday.
Canada’s Trudeau says he shouldn’t make stupid jokes in public
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday admitted he should not be making stupid jokes in public after a quip last week prompted the scorn of conservative commentators in the United States and elsewhere.
Italy’s Berlusconi suggests amnesty for ‘necessary’ illegal building
ROME (Reuters) – Italian center-right leader Silvio Berlusconi said on Wednesday he may introduce an amnesty on some illegal construction if his coalition takes power at a national election on March 4.
Lebanon vows to block border wall, Israel eyes diplomacy on gas field
BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Lebanon vowed on Wednesday to prevent any territorial intrusion by a border wall which Israel is building, and Israel said it wanted foreign mediation to resolve a maritime energy dispute with its northern neighbor.
