South Africa’s Zuma, Gordhan appear together to ease talk of power struggle
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African President Jacob Zuma and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan sat side-by-side on Friday in a show of solidarity after weeks of speculation that the pair are locked in a bitter power struggle.
Switzerland expects fewer refugees after border clampdown
ZURICH (Reuters) – The Swiss government expects fewer asylum requests in 2016 than last year, after a clampdown on migrants crossing the Italian border.
Paper license plates leave Kosovan drivers fuming
PRISTINA (Reuters) – Kosovo’s drivers are in uproar after an administrative slip-up led to the country running out of new license plates, forcing it to issue paper substitutes that are mostly invalid abroad.
Portugal’s Socialists could now rule just with Left Bloc: poll
LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal’s ruling Socialists extended their lead in an opinion poll published on Friday which also showed that they could now govern with just one of their two far-left partners, the Left Bloc, if a new election were held.
Between reckless ally and old rival, China in a bind over North Korea
BEIJING/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – China is in a bind over what to do about North Korea’s stepped-up nuclear and missile tests, even though it is annoyed with its ally and has started talks with other U.N. Security Council members on a new sanctions re…
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.
