Pope’s treasurer faces sex abuse charges in Australia, a grim reminder for his home town
BALLARAT, Australia (Reuters) – One of the pope’s top advisers, Cardinal George Pell, makes his first court appearance in Australia this week on charges of historic sex crimes, a bitter reminder for his home town reeling from more than a dozen abuse ca…
Libya coastguard rescues nearly 300 migrants off the coast: official
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libya’s coastguard rescued an estimated 278 migrants including women and children on Monday off the shores of two different towns west of the capital Tripoli, a spokesman said.
France’s Macron faces grassroots court challenge over party rules
PARIS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron faced the first grassroots revolt from within his own camp on Monday when hundreds of activists asked a court to halt voting on new rules for the political party that helped him win power in May.
Chinese jets intercept U.S. surveillance plane: U.S. officials
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two Chinese fighter jets intercepted a U.S. Navy surveillance plane over the East China Sea at the weekend, with one jet coming within about 300 feet (91 meters) of the American aircraft, U.S. officials said on Monday.
Philippine leader says drugs war ‘trivialized’ by human rights concerns
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday promised an unrelenting war on drugs, defying critics who were “trivializing” his campaign with human rights concerns and unjustly blaming the authorities for the bloodshed.
Russia plans to create ‘de-escalation zone’ in Syria’s Idlib province: agencies
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia plans to establish a new “de-escalation zone” in the Syrian province of Idlib, Russian news agencies cited the Russian Defence Ministry as saying on Monday.
Just as German election heats up, Merkel takes holiday break
BERLIN (Reuters) – – With a comfortable lead in opinion polls, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has left the stage for a quiet three-week summer holiday shrouded in secrecy – even though just two months remain before the election.
Saudi crown prince in charge as king heads on holiday
RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s King Salman left for holiday abroad on Monday and appointed his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to run the affairs of the world’s top oil exporter in his absence, a royal decree said.
Venezuela crisis enters pivotal week, Maduro foes protest
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s opposition plastered election centers with slogans and rallied in honor of dead protesters on Monday in a final week-long push to force President Nicolas Maduro into aborting a controversial congress.
Chainsaw attacker targets insurer in Swiss rampage, still on run
SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland (Reuters) – A chainsaw-wielding loner who mostly lived in the woods stormed into an insurance office in a Swiss town on Monday, wounding two members of staff and three other people before fleeing, police said.
