South Africa’s Zuma denies power struggle with finance minister
CAPE TOWN/JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South African leader Jacob Zuma attempted on Tuesday to brush aside market fears of a power struggle with Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, declaring: “There is no war between the Presidency and the Treasury.”
Philippines guarantees U.S. deal intact as Duterte’s salvos test ties
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines moved to shore up relations with the United States on Tuesday with guarantees that a treaty between them would be honored and security ties were “rock solid”, despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s railings against Washi…
Rising asylum rejections do not reflect migrant reality – Italy NGO
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s rising rejection rate for asylum requests clashes with the stories told by migrants who risk their lives to cross the desert and sea to reach Europe, a Rome-based humanitarian group said on Tuesday.
Colombian rebels trade guns for shovels ahead of peace meeting
YARI PLAINS, Colombia (Reuters) – Hundreds of FARC rebels are converging on a camp in southern Colombia to pour cement, shore up dirt roads and set up communications ahead of the group’s congress this week, where delegates will ratify a peace deal to e…
Norway PM aims to work with Facebook despite Vietnam photo dispute
OSLO (Reuters) – Norway’s prime minister said on Tuesday she wanted to work with Facebook to promote education in an apparent gesture of peace after a row with the company for deleting a Vietnam War photo of a naked girl fleeing a napalm attack.
U.S. bombers fly over South Korea in show of force after nuclear test
SEOUL (Reuters) – Two U.S. B-1 bombers flew over South Korea on Tuesday in a show of force and solidarity with its ally after North Korea’s nuclear test last week, while a U.S. envoy called for a swift and strong response to Pyongyang from the United …
Islamic State behind Kenya’s Mombasa attack by robed women: website
CAIRO (Reuters) – Islamic State supporters carried out an attack on Kenya’s port city of Mombasa in which three robed women tricked their way into a police station, stabbed an officer and set fire to the building, the group’s Amaq news agency said on T…
Desperation and death beneath South Africa’s City of Gold
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – When he lost his job as a Johannesburg gardener a month ago, 25-year-old Sibangani Tsikwe did what millions of men have done before him: seek their fortune deep underground in the gold mines that help to define South Africa.
First transgender Serbian army veteran celebrates new identity as woman
BELGRADE (Reuters) – More than a year after she was sacked from Serbia’s army for coming out as transgender, Helena Vukovic has finally received a passport, driving license, health and ID cards confirming her identity as a woman – a small but important…
Hong Kong judiciary could be undermined by China in struggle against independence calls
HONG KONG (Reuters) – The emergence of a new generation of activists seeking independence for Hong Kong could trigger a legal battle with China that undermines the independence of its judiciary, senior government, legal and diplomatic officials warn.
