Putin uses Assad visit to talk up Kremlin role as Syria broker
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Vladimir Putin used a rare visit to Moscow by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to talk up the Kremlin’s potential to help broker a political settlement to the crisis as he tried to show the West Russia has become a major player in th…
Socialists accuse Venezuela businessman, economist of ‘treason’
CARACAS (Reuters) – Socialist Party legislators on Wednesday asked state prosecutors to investigate Venezuela’s billionaire businessman Lorenzo Mendoza and Harvard economist Ricardo Hausmann for alleged crimes including “treason.”
Exclusive: Shipping traffic to Syria surges as Russia steps up offensive
LONDON/MOSCOW (Reuters) – More than 100 cargo vessels have reached Syria in the past few weeks, in the biggest buildup in shipping for over a year as Russia steps up its support for ally President Bashar al-Assad.
Bahrain charges 24 with trying to set up Islamic State branch in kingdom
DUBAI (Reuters) – Twenty-four people face trial in Bahrain for trying to set up a branch of the Islamic State militant group and promoting the overthrow of the Gulf Arab state’s monarchy, the public prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday.
China’s Xi seals landmark multi-billion-dollar nuclear deal in Britain
LONDON (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping has sealed a multi-billion dollar deal to finance nuclear power stations in Britain, crowning a visit that Prime Minister David Cameron hopes will unleash a wave of investment from the world’s second larg…
Egypt loyalists win all 60 list seats in first round of election
CAIRO (Reuters) – A political alliance loyal to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has scooped up all 60 list seats up for grabs in the first round of a parliamentary election, results from the country’s high election committee showed on Wednesday…
Hungary media group becomes battleground between PM, former ally
BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungary’s second-largest television group has become a new battleground between Prime Minister Viktor Orban and a longtime ally and media baron who fell out with the feisty right-wing premier earlier this year.
U.S. says Myanmar elections will determine future engagement
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States will not turn a blind eye to shortcomings in Myanmar’s election next month and U.S. help to the future government and any more easing of sanctions will depend on the overall process, the top U.S. diplomat for As…
Merkel says Israeli settlements ‘counterproductive’
BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said following talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the building of Jewish settlements was counterproductive and urged Israel and the Palestinians to calm the situation after weeks…
Gates, Slim target maternal, newborn health in Central America
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The foundations of the two of the world’s richest men are stepping up efforts to use innovative data and mobile technology to end easily preventable deaths of mothers and newborns in the poorest pockets of Mexico and Central Ame…
