EU ‘acting on’ report of Russia taking jet fuel to Syria against ban: source
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union is “aware and acting on” a report that Russian tankers had carried jet fuel to Syria through the bloc’s waters despite it being banned, a source said on Wednesday.
Israel proposes 500 new settlement homes near Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Jerusalem’s municipality has proposed building 500 more housing units in an area of the city annexed by Israel after the 1967 Middle East war, a settlement monitoring group said on Wednesday.
France to convene Syria talks, accuses Assad, allies of waging ‘total war’
PARIS (Reuters) – France accused Syria and its allies on Wednesday of using political uncertainty in the United States to launch “total war” against rebel-held areas in the country and said states opposed to President Bashar al-Assad would meet in Par…
Germany, France seek four-way talks on eastern Ukraine conflict on November 29
BERLIN/KIEV (Reuters) – Germany and France have invited Ukraine and Russia to meet in Minsk next week for four-way talks aimed at kick-starting peace talks on the crisis in eastern Ukraine, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Wednes…
Anti-Houthi Yemeni fighters harass medics, endanger civilians: Amnesty
DUBAI (Reuters) – Amnesty International accused pro-government Yemeni forces fighting Houthi rebels for control of the southwestern city of Taiz of harassing medical staff and endangering civilians by stationing combatants among them.
Putin says Ukraine’s detention of Russian soldiers is ‘perfidy’
MOSCOW (Reuters) – The detention this week of two Russian servicemen near the border with Ukraine was an act of “perfidy” by the Kiev authorities, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.
U.S., China agree on new North Korea U.N. sanctions, Russia has issues: diplomats
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States and China have agreed on new U.N. sanctions to impose on North Korea over the nuclear test it conducted in September, but Russia is delaying action on a draft resolution, a senior Security Council diplomat s…
South Africa’s Zuma says action by banks to close Gupta accounts ‘suspicious’
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – South African President Jacob Zuma said on Wednesday the action by nation’s four biggest lenders to stop doing business with the wealthy Gupta was “suspicious” and required to be probed.
Iran warns of retaliation if U.S. breaches nuclear deal
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Extending U.S. sanctions on Iran for 10 years would breach the Iranian nuclear agreement, Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said on Wednesday, warning that Tehran would retaliate if the sanctions are approved.
Winds of change blow softly as Palestinian party leaders meet
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Palestinian politics hasn’t seen much change in the past 10 years — President Mahmoud Abbas has been in power since 2004 and the last parliamentary elections were a decade ago.
