Drive to oust Venezuela’s Maduro returns old foe to front line
CARACAS (Reuters) – Sweating, hoarse and jostled at every turn, opposition leader Henrique Capriles is back pounding Venezuela’s streets, exhorting crowds and fuming about corruption and shortages.
The fastest toddler in Lithuania lured across finish line by jangling keys
VILNIUS (Reuters) – It took 11 seconds for 10-month-old Kamilis Dambrauskas to crawl five meters of plush carpet towards victory on Wednesday in an annual competition to crown Lithuania’s fastest toddler.
Singapore’s prime minister to visit White House on Aug. 2
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Barack Obama will host Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the White House for an official visit and state dinner on Aug. 2, the White House said on Wednesday.
Canada wildfire evacuees face cleanup as they return home
FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta (Reuters) – Evacuees who fled a massive wildfire that hit Fort McMurray trickle back to their homes on Wednesday, facing a massive cleanup and uncertainty over their safety as the devastated Canadian oil city begins to rebuild.
EU must hold firm on Russia sanctions: senior Ukraine official
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union must prolong its sanctions on Russia this month because the crisis in Ukraine is far from being resolved despite a Franco-German push to implement a peace deal, Ukraine’s new Europe minister said on Wednesday.
French rail strike bites amid labor law standoff
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Striking rail workers halted about half of French train services on Wednesday in a dispute over working time as a standoff between the militant CGT union and the Socialist government over a proposed labor law reform escalated.
U.S. targets al Shabaab leader with drone strike in Somalia -Pentagon
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. air strike last week targeted a senior leader of the al Qaeda-linked militant group al Shabaab in Somalia, but the Pentagon was still assessing the drone strike operation’s results, a spokesman said on Wednesday.
Could a millionaire businessman save Iraq’s Sunnis?
ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) – For at least a decade, Iraqi business mogul Khamis Khanjar has bankrolled Sunni politicians and fighters alike. Now, he wants to use his multi-million dollar fortune to create an autonomous region for Iraq’s Sunnis.
Iraq stalls Falluja assault ‘to protect civilians’
SOUTHERN OUTSKIRTS OF FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraq has delayed its assault on the city of Falluja because of fears for the safety of civilians, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Wednesday, as his forces halted at the city’s edge in the face of f…
Algerian troops kill eight Islamist fighters: defense ministry
(Reuters) – Algeria said on Wednesday its troops had killed eight Islamist militants and seized weapons during an operation 350 km (220 miles) east of the capital Algiers.
