Syrian army declares city ceasefire as Russia, U.N. plan July peace talks
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian army said it would suspend combat operations in the southern city of Deraa for 48 hours from Saturday, as mediators announced two separate attempts to convene new peace talks next month.
Pope tells Merkel to keep pressing for international cooperation
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis has asked Germany to keep fighting for the Paris climate change deal and to ‘tear down walls’ that inhibit international cooperation, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday, offering a stark contrast between her…
Yemen government agrees to U.N. Hodeidah plan, Houthis skeptical
CAIRO (Reuters) – Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said on Saturday it agreed to a two-point plan advanced by the United Nations to ease suffering in the country’s civil war, but the Iran-aligned Houthi movement remained skeptical.
Duterte resurfaces after rest, says battle with militants winding down
MANILA (Reuters) – President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, who had avoided public appearances for nearly a week to recover from what spokesmen described as fatigue, said on Saturday that a battle with Islamist militants in Marawi City was winding…
U.N. mediator targets fresh Syria talks for July 10
VIENNA (Reuters) – The United Nations special mediator for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, wants to start a fresh round of talks between Syrian factions on July 10, his office said on Saturday.
China turns up legal pressure on exiled tycoon Guo: Xinhua
SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese prosecutors have filed new lawsuits against employees of firms connected to fugitive Guo Wengui, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday, as Beijing turns up the pressure on the tycoon at the center of a fe…
Putin: more U.S. sanctions would be harmful, talk of retaliation premature
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said new sanctions under consideration by the United States would damage relations between the two countries, but it was too early to talk about retaliation, state news agency RIA reported on Saturday…
At least 58 feared dead in London tower fire, PM May admits failings
LONDON (Reuters) – At least 58 people are feared to have died in the fire that engulfed a London tower block this week, police said on Saturday, as Prime Minister Theresa May admitted that the response from the authorities had not been good enough.
Cambridge University refuses to return Aboriginal artifacts to Australia
SYDNEY (Reuters) – The University of Cambridge has refused a request by an Australian man to return important Aboriginal artifacts taken by British explorer Captain James Cook nearly 250 years ago.
Egyptian court recommends death penalty for 30 over assassination of prosecutor
CAIRO (Reuters) – A Cairo criminal court on Saturday recommended the death penalty for 30 people convicted of involvement in the 2015 assassination of Egypt’s top prosecutor, the most senior state official killed by militants in recent years.
