Buoyed by mayoral votes, Venezuela socialists eye presidency race
CARACAS (Reuters) – President Nicolas Maduro has set his sights on Venezuela’s 2018 presidential election after the ruling Socialist Party dominated mayoral polls with the help of a partial boycott by a divided opposition.
EU tells Netanyahu it rejects Trump’s Jerusalem move
BRUSSELS/CAIRO (Reuters) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took his case to Europe to ask allies to join the United States in recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, but met a firm rebuff from EU foreign ministers who saw the move as a blow agains…
Catalan protesters clash with police over ‘plunder’ of religious artefacts
BARCELONA (Reuters) – Protesters clashed with police trying to reclaim disputed religious artefacts from a museum in Catalonia on Monday, in the latest display of tension between Catalan separatists and Spain’s central government ahead of a Dec. 21 ele…
Russia urges India to line up behind China’s Belt and Road initiative
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Russia threw its weight behind China’s massive Belt and Road plan to build trade and transport links across Asia and beyond, suggesting to India on Monday that it find a way to work with Beijing on the signature project.
Putin orders ‘significant part’ of Russian forces in Syria to withdraw
MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin ordered “a significant part” of Russia’s military contingent in Syria to start withdrawing on Monday, saying Moscow and Damascus had achieved their mission of destroying Islamic State in just over two years.
Russia’s Putin and Egypt’s Sisi discuss Middle East tensions in Cairo
CAIRO (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin met Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Monday for talks on cooperation and tensions in the Middle East following Washington’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
China’s graft watchdog warns officials over ‘concealed’ extravagance
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese officials trying to hide dishonest spending with tricks such as throwing extravagant parties in private will be targeted in a sustained campaign to root out hedonism, the top anti-graft watchdog said on Monday.
Kuwait replaces oil and finance ministers: state news agency
DUBAI (Reuters) – Kuwait replaced its oil and finance ministers in a cabinet reshuffle on Monday, state news agency KUNA reported.
Britain steps up battle against money laundering
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s government said on Monday it will create a new national economic crime center to crack down harder on money laundering by drug dealers and people traffickers who are expected to net 90 billion pounds ($120.3 billion) this y…
India’s Rahul Gandhi appointed president of Congress party
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s main opposition party Congress on Monday appointed Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the country’s most fabled political dynasty, as its president, the party announced.
