U.S., Israel close many gaps in defense aid talks, hope for deal soon
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and Israel have closed many of the remaining gaps in negotiations over a new multibillion-dollar military aid package for Washington’s top Middle East ally, and the two sides hope to reach a deal soon, a senior …
Prison mutiny deepens security crisis in northern Brazil state
NATAL, Brazil (Reuters) – Inmates temporarily took control of a state prison and set fire to mattresses on Wednesday in Brazil’s northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte where gangsters have unleashed a wave of violence against the government.
Peru’s PM optimistic economic reforms will pass Congress
LIMA (Reuters) – A day after meeting with the head of the opposition-controlled Congress, Peru’s prime minister said he was optimistic lawmakers would back President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski’s economic reforms, including plans to cut the value-added tax r…
Obama administration denies Iran cash payment was a ransom
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration said on Wednesday that $400 million in cash paid to Iran soon after the release of five Americans detained by Tehran was not ransom as some Republicans have charged.
As vote looms, Thailand’s powerful army aims to preserve role
BANGKOK, Thailand (Reuters) – Thailand votes on Sunday for a new constitution that aims to subdue political parties and give the generals a permanent role in overseeing the country’s economic development, senior military officers say.
Colombia opposition, headed by Uribe, to vote ‘no’ in peace plebiscite
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s principal opposition party, led by former President Alvaro Uribe, announced on Wednesday it would back a ‘no’ vote in a plebiscite on a peace deal with Marxist FARC rebels that would put an end to five decades of war.
U.S. envoy hits back at suggestion U.S. provoked North Korea
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, hit back on Wednesday at suggestions that a United States decision to deploy an advanced anti-missile defense system in South Korea had provoked recent ballistic missile …
Fire guts Emirates jet after hard landing; one firefighter dies
DUBAI (Reuters) – An Emirates jetliner arriving from India caught fire after slumping onto the runway in Dubai on Wednesday, killing one firefighter in an intense blaze and bringing the world’s busiest international airport to a halt for several hours….
Anti-Semitic incidents rise 11 percent in UK this year
LONDON (Reuters) – The number of anti-Semitic incidents in Britain rose by 11 percent in the first six months of the year reflecting a worrying trend of intolerance across the country, a Jewish advisory body said on Thursday.
Austrian Chancellor suggests ending EU accession talks with Turkey
VIENNA (Reuters) – Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said on Wednesday that he would start a discussion among European heads of government to quit talks with Turkey about joining the European Union because of the country’s democratic and economic defi…
