Russia, Ukraine commit to Minsk accords in call with France, Germany
BERLIN (Reuters) – The leaders of Russia and Ukraine discussed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the French President preparations to hold elections in an eastern Ukrainian area hit by a pro-Russian insurrection, according to the german governme…
Brazil’s new government loses key minister to scandal
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s interim government was rocked on Monday by the loss of one of its key figures, Planning Minister Romero Juca, who stepped aside amid accusations he had conspired to obstruct the country’s biggest-ever corruption investigat…
South Africa’s Zuma appeals against corruption charges ruling
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African President Jacob Zuma is appealing against a court ruling that corruption charges against him should be reinstated, his office said.
South Korea says more North Korean restaurant workers defect from third country
SEOUL (Reuters) – Several more North Korean workers have fled their jobs in an overseas restaurant run by the isolated North, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said on Tuesday after a media report said three people had escaped from China and were clai…
States, aid agencies agree to cut costs, free up money for people in crises
ISTANBUL (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Governments and humanitarian agencies have agreed a “Grand Bargain” which aims to cut the costs of administering aid by around $1 billion a year, and ensure more of that money goes to help people in crisis.
Venezuela opposition security boss freed
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan authorities freed congressional president Henry Ramos’ head of security on Monday after he was arrested last week on allegations of masterminding the beating of police officers, the opposition said.
U.S. says late Taliban leader was planning attacks on Americans
PESHAWAR, Pakistan/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama approved the drone strike that killed Mullah Akhtar Mansour because the Taliban leader was overseeing plans for new attacks on American targets in Kabul, the Afghan capital, U.S. off…
Slow response to past crashes could hinder EgyptAir search, experts say
PARIS/CAIRO (Reuters) – Teams searching for the black box flight recorders of a missing EgyptAir jet that crashed with 66 people aboard face technical constraints that aviation experts increasingly blame on a slow regulatory response to earlier disaste…
Syrian Kurds point finger at Western-backed opposition
PARIS (Reuters) – The main Western-backed Syrian opposition has gained little by demanding the fall of President Bashar al-Assad other than fuelling killings and the refugee crisis, a senior official from Syrian’s northern Kurdish region said on Monday…
U.S. lifts arms ban on old foe Vietnam as China tensions simmer
HANOI (Reuters) – The United States announced a complete end to its arms embargo on Vietnam on Monday, a historic step that draws a line under the two countries’ earlier enmity and underscores their shared concerns about China’s growing military clout….
