Brazil’s Lula summoned to testify in bribery case
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was summoned to testify as a witness for a lobbyist accused of paying bribes to alter legislation in favor of businesses, local media reported on Monday.
Venezuela’s Maduro limits congressional oversight of central bank
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday eliminated the National Assembly’s control over nomination and removal of central bank directors through a legal reform that the opposition slammed as aimed at curtailing its power a day…
U.S. says Venezuelan government interfering in new National Assembly
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States expressed concern on Monday that the Venezuelan government is trying to obstruct the actions of the country’s National Assembly, which convenes on Tuesday for its first session with an opposition majority in mor…
U.N. pushes Syria, Yemen peace amid ‘worrying’ Saudi break with Iran
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United Nations worked quickly on Monday to salvage fragile international bids to broker peace in Syria and Yemen from a spillover of tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran after Riyadh’s decision to cut off ties with Tehr…
Britain urged to take 3,000 refugee children at risk of trafficking
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Britain should take in 3,000 refugee children who are traveling through Europe alone and are at risk of falling prey to human traffickers, a parliamentary committee said on Tuesday.
Niger voter register fit for election if changes made – report
NIAMEY (Reuters) – Niger’s electoral register is good enough to enable the country to go ahead with an election on Feb. 21 as long as certain changes are made, the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) said in a report on Monday.
Saudi Arabia recruits Sunni allies in row with Iran
DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia rallied Sunni allies to its side in a growing diplomatic row with Iran on Monday, deepening a sectarian split across the Middle East following the kingdom’s execution of a prominent Shi’ite cleric.
Syria chemical arms probe found signs of sarin gas exposure: U.N.
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – A fact-finding mission of the global anti-chemical weapons watchdog has found indications that some people in Syria were exposed to deadly sarin gas, or a compound like it, according to a report the United Nations released on…
Taliban claim suicide attack on contractor camp in Kabul
KABUL (Reuters) – The Taliban claimed responsibility for a truck bomb attack on a compound for civilian contractors near Kabul airport on Monday, hours after a suicide bomber blew himself up in the latest in a series of attacks in the Afghan capital ov…
Hezbollah targets Israeli forces with bomb, Israel shells south Lebanon
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Hezbollah set off a bomb targeting Israeli forces at the Lebanese border on Monday in an apparent response to the killing in Syria last month of a prominent commander, triggering Israeli shelling of southern Lebanon.
