Putin may benefit from meeting of pope and patriarch
VATICAN CITY/MOSCOW (Reuters) – A meeting between Pope Francis and Russia’s Orthodox Patriarch Kirill on Friday could not happen without a green light from President Vladimir Putin, diplomats and analysts say, and he may be one the beneficiaries.
North Korea executes army chief of staff: South Korean media
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea has executed its army chief of staff, Ri Yong Gil, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, which, if true, would be the latest in a series of executions, purges and disappearances under its young leader.
German train crash investigators focus on signal controller: source
BAD AIBLING/BERLIN (Reuters) – German prosecutors and police investigating a head-on train crash in Bavaria that killed ten people are focusing on the actions of a signal controller, a source involved in the inquiry told Reuters on Wednesday.
EU-UK deal ‘very fragile’ but Tusk hopeful for summit
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Negotiations between London and other EU states to help keep Britain in the European Union are “very fragile”, European Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday, though he said he still hoped for a deal at a EU summit next w…
Latest poll indicates growing support for British EU exit
LONDON (Reuters) – The number of Britons who back remaining in the European Union is level with those wanting to leave in the bloc, with support for an exit growing, according to an opinion poll on Wednesday.
Colombian rebels promise end to use of child soldiers
HAVANA (Reuters) – Colombia’s leftist FARC rebels on Wednesday promised they would no longer enlist minors, a gesture aimed at quickly reaching a final peace agreement with the government after more than half a century of war.
U.S. envoy says Islamic State in Libya biggest cause for concern
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. envoy to the coalition against Islamic State said on Wednesday that the militant group’s branch in Libya is the greatest cause for concern, given its attacks in the chaotic North African country and the threat it poses t…
In Yemen war, hospitals bombed to rubble, starvation spreads
DUBAI (Reuters) – Elderly Hamama Yousif was rushed to the main hospital in one of Yemen’s largest cities after an artillery round lashed her chest with shrapnel, only to find that the doctors there had run out of the oxygen tanks needed to save her lif…
Exclusive: U.S. and India consider joint patrols in South China Sea – U.S. official
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The United States and India have held talks about conducting joint naval patrols that a U.S. defense official said could include the disputed South China Sea, a move that would likely anger Beijing, which claims most of the waterw…
Saudi King Salman to visit Moscow in mid-March: RIA cites Kremlin aide
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s King Salman plans to visit Moscow in mid-March, RIA news agency reported on Wednesday, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
