Germany plans four-way meeting on Ukraine crisis
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany hopes to hold a meeting with Russia, Ukraine and France on the Ukraine crisis at a gathering of G20 foreign ministers in Bonn next week, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.
Zimbabwe’s top court throws out case against Mugabe
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court dismissed a case against President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday lodged by an activist who accused the aging leader of violating the southern African country’s supreme law during protests last year.
Romanian government survives no-confidence motion over graft debacle
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania’s Social Democrat-led government easily survived a no-confidence motion in parliament on Wednesday, three days after mass street protests forced it into an embarrassing U-turn over a graft decree.
There should not be a second Scottish independence vote: UK PM May’s spokesman
LONDON (Reuters) – The British government does not believe there should be a second referendum on Scottish independence, Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesman said when asked about a report it was preparing contingency plans for one.
Duterte defends drugs war, rejects advice of ‘idiot’ ex-Colombia president
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made a vigorous defense of his war on drugs on Wednesday, rejecting not only allegations of extrajudicial killings, but the advice of a former Colombian leader who urged him not to repeat his mist…
U.N. seeks $2.1 billion to avert famine in Yemen
GENEVA (Reuters) – The United Nations appealed on Wednesday for $2.1 billion to provide food and other life-saving assistance to 12 million people in Yemen who face the threat of famine after two years of war.
Thailand’s next election in exactly one year: deputy PM
BANGKOK (Reuters) – An election to restore democracy in military-ruled Thailand will take place a year from now, the government said on Wednesday, affirming for the first time widespread expectations a vote the military had promised for this year will …
Poll shows Le Pen losing French presidential runoff
PARIS (Reuters) – A daily opinion poll publication continued to show far-right leader Marine Le Pen losing the French presidential runoff on May 7.
Pope issues stinging criticism of Myanmar’s treatment of Rohingya
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis issued a stinging criticism of atrocities against Myanmar’s Rohingya minority on Wednesday, saying they had been tortured and killed simply because they wanted to live their culture and Muslim faith.
German agency working to clear backlog of 435,000 asylum cases
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s migration agency hopes to clear a backlog of 435,000 asylum cases within months, the organization’s new director said in an interview with Germany’s Handelsblatt newspaper on Wednesday.
