Catholic Church blasts Venezuela for ‘brutal repression’ of protesters
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s Roman Catholic Church accused President Nicolas Maduro’s government on Wednesday of “totalitarian” tendencies and “brutal repression” of demonstrators during two months of political unrest that has killed several dozen p…
Almost 2 tons of cocaine seized off Puerto Rico coast
SAN JUAN (Reuters) – A 1.8 ton cocaine shipment worth an estimated $50 million that was thought to be destined for the U.S. market was seized off the coast of Puerto Rico, federal authorities said on Wednesday, in one of the largest drug busts there in…
U.S. looking for way forward in faltering Mideast peace talks
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – The Obama administration scrambled on Wednesday to rescue faltering Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations after what it called “unhelpful, unilateral actions” by both sides.
U.S., eyeing exit and mindful of past, keeps distance from Afghan election
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Ahead of Afghanistan’s last presidential election in 2009, the United States used its diplomatic and military muscle to try to pull off a successful vote in a nation expected to define the foreign policy of President Barack Obama…
U.N. Arms Trade Treaty takes leap toward entry into force
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. Arms Trade Treaty took a major step forward on its eventual entry into force on Wednesday as 18 countries, including five of the world’s top 10 arms exporters, delivered proof of its ratification to the United Nation…
Greek PM’s aide quits over purported Golden Dawn video
ATHENS (Reuters) – A senior aide to Greece’s prime minister resigned on Wednesday after the far-right Golden Dawn party said a video showed him suggesting the government had tried to press judges to jail its members.
Suharto family tests Indonesia political comeback on strongman’s legacy
YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (Reuters) – It was Indonesia’s most ubiquitous smile. Once dubbed the smiling general despite his iron rule of more than three decades, the image of former President Suharto now waves genially from the election campaign poster of …
Chile assesses damage after massive quake, tsunami
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Chilean authorities on Wednesday were assessing the damage from a massive earthquake that struck off the northern coast, causing a small tsunami, but the impact appeared to be mostly limited.
As court cases mount, survival hopes wane for troubled Thai PM
BANGKOK (Reuters) – The legal cases are piling up fast against Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her party loyalists. If precedents are anything to go by, they should be more than a little worried.
Bombs kill two, including police officer, at Cairo University
CAIRO (Reuters) – Explosions outside Cairo University killed two people including a police brigadier-general on Wednesday in what appeared to be a militant attack targeting security forces.
