ISIS commander still alive, badly wounded: Syria Observatory
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday that Islamic State’s military commander was badly wounded but still alive, appearing to contradict U.S. officials who said he was likely killed in a U.S. air strike.
Venezuela withdraws top diplomat in United States
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s top diplomat in Washington was called back to Caracas on Wednesday after U.S. President Barack Obama renewed a decree imposing sanctions on several top Venezuelan officials.
Fukushima’s ground zero: No place for man or robot
(Reuters) – The robots sent in to find highly radioactive fuel at Fukushima’s nuclear reactors have “died”; a subterranean “ice wall” around the crippled plant meant to stop groundwater from becoming contaminated has yet to be finished. And authorities still don’t how to dispose of highly radioactive water stored in an ever mounting number of tanks around the site.
U.S. hopes to preserve two-state outcome for Israel, Palestinians
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Having twice failed to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace, the Obama administration is discussing ways to help preserve the prospect of an increasingly threatened two-state solution, U.S. officials said.
Austria says closure of Balkan route is ‘permanent’: ‘Welt’ newspaper
BERLIN (Reuters) – South-eastern Europe’s “Balkan route”, the main passage for migrants to reach more affluent countries to the north, will remain closed permanently, Austria’s Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner told German newspaper “Die Welt” on …
No Obama meeting with Fidel Castro, dissident talks on track: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House has ruled out an encounter between President Barack Obama and revolutionary leader Fidel Castro in Cuba this month and is confident the Cuban government will not create obstacles to a meeting between Obama and dis…
U.S. warns Mosul dam collapse would be catastrophic
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States and Iraq on Wednesday hosted a meeting of senior diplomats and U.N. officials to discuss the possible collapse of the Mosul hydro-electric dam, which U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said would create a catast…
Peru bars Fujimori’s biggest rival from presidential race
LIMA (Reuters) – Peru’s electoral board kicked the main rival to presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori out of the race on a technicality on Wednesday, removing the front-runner’s biggest obstacle to winning the office once held by her jailed father.
State prosecutors charge Brazil’s Lula in money laundering probe
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Sao Paulo state prosecutors have filed charges against former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a money laundering investigation, a spokesman for prosecutors said on Wednesday.
Lula could join Brazilian government if he wants, minister says
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva could join Brazil’s government if he wishes, the minister in charge of legislative affairs, Ricardo Berzoini, said on Wednesday, a move that would give him some protection from prosecution.
