Taiwan President says unofficial communication channels remain with China
TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Saturday that unofficial communication channels with China remain in place despite Beijing in June suspending contacts because the island’s new leader would not endorse the concept of a “One Chin…
In Egypt, IMF deal brings austerity few can afford
CAIRO (Reuters) – A few years ago Imad would not have imagined himself queuing in the Cairo sun for a weekly ration of subsidized baby milk. But rising prices mean his civil servant’s salary barely lasts the month and the government is tightening its b…
North Korea brands defector from UK embassy sex criminal ‘scum’
(Please note: Strong language in the headline and penultimate paragraph)
Taliban make further gains in Afghan north
KABUL (Reuters) – The Afghan Taliban captured a strategic district in the northern province of Kunduz on Saturday, forcing troops to retreat to the provincial capital which fell briefly to the insurgents last year, officials said.
Police massacre on ranch leaves deep scars in Mexican town
(Reuters) – The small town of Ocotlan in western Mexico was hard hit by an ambush a government body now admits was an act of police abuse, having lost dozens of its young men who joined a powerful drug gang for money and adventure but instead found an …
FBI probes possible U.S. ties to corruption by former Ukraine president: CNN
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The FBI and U.S. Justice Department are investigating possible U.S. ties to alleged corruption involving the former president of Ukraine, including the work of firms headed by political operatives Paul Manafort and Tony Podesta, …
Exclusive: U.S. withdraws staff from Saudi Arabia dedicated to Yemen planning
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military has withdrawn from Saudi Arabia its personnel who were coordinating with the Saudi-led air campaign in Yemen, and sharply reduced the number of staff elsewhere who were assisting in that planning, U.S. officials…
Haiti Senate report claims graft in use of Venezuela funds
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) – A Haitian Senate report has called for charges to be brought against two former prime ministers and several ministers for alleged embezzlement, abuse of authority and forgery stemming from the use of funds in a Venezuelan oil loan program.
Biden, Ukraine’s Poroshenko discuss surge in fighting in eastern Ukraine: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke by phone on Friday with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and both leaders expressed concern over a recent surge in fighting in eastern Ukraine, where Kiev is fighting pro-Russian separatist…
Biden holds calls with Cyprus president, Turkish Cypriot leader: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Joe Biden held separate phone calls on Friday with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, and congratulated them both on progress in talks on reunifying the country, th…
