China’s Xi, Japan’s Abe hold landmark meeting
BEIJING (Reuters) – After an awkward handshake, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held formal talks on Monday for the first time since the two leaders took office, a breakthrough in efforts to improve ties between the …
Syria’s Assad says U.N. envoy’s local ceasefire bid ‘worth studying’: state media
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Monday that a proposal by an international peace mediator to implement local ceasefires starting in the northern city of Aleppo was “worth studying”, state media said.
Sudanese minister meets rival Libyan factions in mediation bid
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti flew to the Libyan cities of Tobruk and Tripoli in a bid to mediate between rival governments based at opposite ends of the country, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
Ukraine’s currency plunges as ceasefire fears grow
KIEV/DONETSK Ukraine (Reuters) – Ukraine’s currency lost nearly 5 percent of its value on Monday after a weekend that saw the heaviest shelling in a month hit the main rebel stronghold in the east and signs that Moscow had dispatched troops and tanks t…
Germany and Britain agree on closing ‘patent box’ loophole: officials
BERLIN/LONDON (Reuters) – Germany and Britain have reached an agreement on closing a loophole called “patent box” tax breaks, just days before a meeting of the leaders of the Group of Twenty (G20) in Brisbane, senior German government officials said on…
Iran and West end round of nuclear talks, outcome unclear
MUSCAT (Reuters) – Iran, the United States and the European Union ended two days of high-level talks on Tehran’s nuclear program on Monday with no immediate sign they had bridged gaps ahead of a Nov. 24 deadline for an agreement.
Italy court overturns conviction of scientists over quake warning
ROME (Reuters) – An Italian appeals court on Monday overturned a 2012 manslaughter conviction against six scientists and a government official for failing to give adequate warning of an earthquake in L’Aquila five years ago that killed more than 300 pe…
Peru police to press charges against alleged Hezbollah detainee
LIMA (Reuters) – Peruvian police said on Monday they will press charges against a foreign man arrested in Lima last month, after finding him with traces of explosives and getting his confession to being a member of the Shi’ite Islamist movement Hezboll…
Little progress made in nuclear talks with U.S., EU: Iran official
MUSCAT (Reuters) – Little progress was made in two days of nuclear talks between Iran, the United States and the European Union (EU) held in Oman, a senior Iranian official said on Monday.
‘Hungary is not Guantánamo,’ ruling party tells U.S.
BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party on Monday dismissed U.S. allegations of corruption against six officials in its government, saying Hungary was “not Guantánamo”, where Washington could make accusations without proof.
