Bleak job prospects drive South Korean youth to vocational schools
BUCHEON, South Korea (Reuters) – Living in a country obsessed with academic success, Jang Dong-hae did what every South Korean parent dreads when he dropped out of university a year into a finance degree, doubting whether it would get him a job with a …
Italy’s Renzi wants Balkan states’ EU accession expedited
BERLIN (Reuters) – The European Union should make it a priority to admit Balkan states as members, since they are on the frontline of Europe’s refugee crisis, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said.
U.N. warns against cuts in development aid due to refugee crisis
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday warned against proposed reductions in development aid by wealthy countries struggling to cope with Europe’s refugee and migration crisis, saying such cuts would be counter-produ…
EU to offer Africans aid, other benefits to cut migration: plan
VALLETTA (Reuters) – The European Union has offered African states a range of aid as well as easier visa access and lower costs for migrants sending cash home in return for help to curb migration into the EU, including by taking back illegal immigrants…
Growing number of asylum seekers opt for Arctic route to enter Europe
KIRKENES, Norway (Reuters) – As winter sets in, Norway’s Arctic frontier with Russia is becoming one of the fastest-growing routes for asylum seekers to enter Western Europe, despite being inhospitable, cold and — soon — permanently dark.
Court move deepens Spanish standoff over Catalan secession
MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s Constitutional Court blocked Catalonia’s attempted secession process on Wednesday by agreeing to hear a Spanish government appeal against it, deepening a stand-off over the potential breakaway.
Putin says Russia needs own investigation into doping allegations
SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday Russia needed to conduct its own investigation into allegations its athletes had systematically taken performance-enhancing substances and that someone needed to take personal respons…
Vatican leaks scandal widens as authors investigated, others suspected
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – A leaks scandal rocking the papacy widened on Wednesday as the Vatican put two Italian journalists under investigation and said it suspected other Holy See officials had helped two arrested for stealing documents.
Montreal begins controversial sewage dump into St. Lawrence River
MONTREAL (Reuters) – Montreal, Canada’s second-largest city, began dumping untreated sewage into the St. Lawrence River on Wednesday, angering environmentalists with a repair operation that could release as much as 8 billion liters (2.1 billion gallons…
Assad’s opponents dismiss Russian ideas for solving Syria crisis
BEIRUT/DUBAI (Reuters) – Syrian opposition figures and Gulf commentators dismissed on Wednesday a Russian draft proposal for a process to solve the Syrian crisis, saying Moscow’s aim was to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power and marginalize dissen…
