Once ‘Pearl of Caribbean’ gets new shine for Venezuela summit
MARGARITA ISLAND, Venezuela (Reuters) – Once known as the “Pearl of the Caribbean,” the former Venezuelan tourist hot spot Margarita fell on hard times amid the country’s economic crisis with trash on streets, scarcities of food and water, rampant crim…
Philippine senators deride witness behind Duterte ‘death squad’ link
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine senators cast doubt on the credibility of a self-confessed hit-man on Friday after he testified to seeing the country’s president kill a man and order assassinations during his two decades as mayor of the once restive Dava…
Turkey detains four for suspected plot against British, German embassies: official
ANKARA/BERLIN (Reuters) – Turkish authorities detained four people in an investigation into a potential threat against British and German diplomatic missions but found no links to any terrorist groups, a Turkish official said on Friday.
Former Italian president, prime minister Ciampi dies
ROME (Reuters) – Former Italian president, prime minister and central bank governor Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, who played a key role in guiding the country into the European single currency, has died, the government said on Friday.
Russia says using influence to get Syrian army to fulfill truce deal
MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Friday it was using its influence to try to ensure the Syrian army fully implemented a shaky ceasefire agreement and that it hoped the United States would use its own influence with rebel groups too.
Assailant shot dead trying to stab Israeli police in Jerusalem: police
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Police shot dead a knife-wielding assailant as he charged at officers and tried to stab them at a main entrance to Jerusalem’s walled Old City on Friday, the force said.
Egypt takes delivery of second French Mistral warship
NANTES, France (Reuters) – Egypt took delivery of a second French Mistral helicopter carrier on Friday, part of a $1 billion deal signed last year.
EU anti-trafficking unit denies turning back migrant boats
ROME (Reuters) – The European Union’s anti-smuggling and people trafficking operation denied on Friday that it had returned any migrant boats to Libya, after Britain’s foreign secretary said it had turned back more than 200.
Syria ceasefire deal in balance as Aleppo aid plan stalls
BEIRUT/GENEVA (Reuters) – Russia said the Syrian army had begun to withdraw from a road into Aleppo on Thursday, a prerequisite for pressing ahead with international peacemaking efforts as the government and rebels accused each other of violating a tru…
Turkish army kills Kurdish militants suspected of politician’s murder: sources
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) – Turkish soldiers killed five Kurdish militants on Friday suspected of involvement in the assassination this week of a politician from the ruling AK Party, security sources said, amid surging violence in the largely Kurdis…
