U.S. envoy for anti-Islamic State coalition Allen to step down
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. special envoy for countering the Islamic State militant group, retired Gen. John Allen, plans to step down for personal reasons, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.
Pope’s trip ties Cuba to U.S. with message of reconciliation
SANTIAGO, Cuba (Reuters) – Pope Francis ended his Cuba trip on Tuesday and headed to the United States with a message of reconciliation for the former Cold War foes while avoiding controversy on the U.S. trade embargo or human rights on the Communist-r…
White House seeks answers from China on U.S. woman detained in spy probe
BEIJING/AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – The White House has contacted China’s Foreign Ministry over the detention of an American businesswoman accused of spying, a spokesman said on Tuesday, in a case that blew up just as President Xi Jinping began a visit t…
Brazil in talks on gambling legalization amid fiscal crunch
SAO PAULO/BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s cash-strapped government is in talks with lawmakers over legalizing gambling to increase revenues as Congress balks at President Dilma Rousseff’s efforts to overcome a budget deficit by raising other taxes.
Pro-Kurdish ministers quit Turkish cabinet amid tension over violence
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey moved swiftly on Tuesday to replace two ministers from a pro-Kurdish party who quit its interim government amid rising tensions after a ceasefire with Kurdish militants collapsed in July.
With refugees, German Muslim minority could be Europe’s largest
BERLIN (Reuters) – When the flood of Middle Eastern refugees arriving in Europe finally ebbs and asylum-seekers settle down in their new homes, Germany could unexpectedly find itself housing the continent’s largest Muslim minority.
Pope’s U.S. visit to focus on use of power and needs of the poor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Pope Francis was to due to arrive in the United States on Tuesday bearing a message that the power and wealth that Washington symbolizes should be made to serve humanity, and not the other way around.
Venezuela pet shops, like supermarkets, struggle to stock shelves
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuelan pet shops are struggling to stock shelves with food and medicine due to economic crisis, forcing dog and cat owners to stretch feed and police to ration food for canine units.
Ceasefires extended in besieged Syrian towns: Hezbollah’s TV station
AMMAN (Reuters) – Warring parties have agreed to extend ceasefires in two Shi’ite Muslim towns in northwestern Syria and another settlement near the Lebanese border until a wider deal is reached, the al-Manar TV station controlled by Lebanon’s Hezbolla…
U.N. calls on Philippines to investigate killings of rights activists
MANILA (Reuters) – The United Nations on Tuesday called on the Philippine government to investigate immediately the killings of three human rights activists on a southern island affected by long-running armed conflict.
