Ex-soccer star Weah headed for presidential run-off in Liberia
MONROVIA (Reuters) – Former soccer star George Weah was set to win the first round of a presidential election in Liberia after the elections commission said on Sunday he was leading with 39 percent of votes and less than 5 percent of precincts still to…
Death toll from blasts in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu tops 200
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – More than 200 people were killed by twin bomb blasts that struck busy junctions in the heart of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, officials said on Sunday, marking the deadliest attacks since an Islamist insurgency began in 2007.
U.S. officials try to ease concerns Trump may quit Iran deal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senior Trump administration officials said on Sunday that the United States was committed to remaining part of the Iran nuclear accord for now, despite President Donald Trump’s criticisms of the deal and his warnings that he migh…
Trump hostility set to deepen Iran power struggles
ANKARA (Reuters) – Iranians quickly closed ranks against a hawkish new U.S. approach to Tehran, but Iran’s powerful hardliners are set to exploit the latest dispute with Washington to weaken domestic rivals who are open to the West, analysts and inside…
Death toll from Somalia bombings rises to more than 200
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – More than 200 people were killed in near simultaneous bombings in the Somali capital and more than 250 people were injured, officials said on Sunday, marking the most deadly such attack by Somalia’s al Shabaab insurgency.
Merkel in state vote setback as national coalition talks loom
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) defeated Angela Merkel’s conservatives in a vote in the northern state of Lower Saxony on Sunday in a setback to the chancellor as she prepares for tricky three-way coalition talks at the national lev…
Turkey determined to maintain EU accession process, government says
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey is determined to press on with its efforts to join the European Union despite tensions with the bloc, the government said on Sunday ahead of an EU summit which will discuss the frayed relations between Brussels and Ankara.
U.S. diplomacy with North Korea to continue until ‘first bomb drops’: Tillerson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday that President Donald Trump had instructed him to continue diplomatic efforts to calm rising tensions with North Korea, saying “those diplomatic efforts will continue until the first b…
Haley says U.S. to stay in Iran nuclear deal ‘right now’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States for the time being will stay in an international nuclear deal with Iran, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said on Sunday, adding that the Trump administration wanted to weigh a “proportionate” response to T…
Catalan leader calls for calm ahead of Madrid deadline
MADRID (Reuters) – Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont on Sunday called for calm less than 24 hours ahead of a deadline from Spain’s central government for him to clarify whether he has declared independence for Catalonia or not.
