Venezuela opposition says talks with government ‘in crisis’
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s opposition warned that talks with the government of President Nicolas Maduro are “in crisis” due to repression of student demonstrations and officials’ refusal to grant concessions that could defuse three months of stree…
Millions driven from homes by civic violence: report
GENEVA (Reuters) – A record 33.3 million people around the world were internally displaced by conflict in their countries at the end of last year, 16 percent or 4.5 million up on 2012, an international report said on Wednesday.
Afghan election result delayed till Thursday by over 900 serious complaints
KABUL (Reuters) – The final result of the presidential election held in Afghanistan over a month ago will be announced on Thursday, a day later than planned because of a high number of voter complaints, the election authorities said.
South Africa police vow to crack down on strike intimidation
MARIKANA, South Africa (Reuters) – South Africa’s police minister vowed on Wednesday to crack down on violence on the country’s restive platinum belt and arrest “within hours” strikers he said were behind a campaign of intimidation against miners tryin…
Kennedy vows U.S. help to Japan for Fukushima nuclear clean-up
OKUMA, Japan (Reuters) – U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy pledged U.S. support for the clean-up at Japan’s tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Wednesday after her first visit to the site.
Separatists kill seven Ukraine soldiers in heaviest loss for Kiev forces
KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) – Pro-Russian separatists ambushed Ukrainian troops on Tuesday, killing seven in the heaviest loss of life for government forces in a single clash since Kiev sent soldiers to put down a rebellion in the country’s east.
North Sea tax change to end drillers’ 20-year tax holiday
LONDON (Reuters) – A planned change in the way Britain taxes North Sea drillers exposes the loophole in a system that allowed an industry with annual revenues of 2 billion pounds to pay almost no corporation tax for two decades, prompting accusations t…
Public employees demand big raise from Lebanese parliament
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Thousands of Lebanese teachers, civil servants and children rallied outside parliament on Wednesday in the biggest of a year of pay protests as the assembly debated a much-delayed bill on public sector salaries.
Scottish independence bid flags questions about Union Jack
LONDON (Reuters) – For centuries the Union Jack has been the symbol of British power across the globe but a bid by secessionists in Scotland to break the union with England has thrust the future of the red-white-and-blue flag into question.
‘Stay strong,’ union boss tells South Africa platinum strikers
MARIKANA, South Africa (Reuters) – The president of South Africa’s striking AMCU union urged its members on Wednesday to remain strong in the face of efforts by the world’s top platinum firms to woo miners to end a 16-week stoppage, the longest and cos…
