U.N. chief tries to kick-start sagging enthusiasm for climate deal
LONDON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon this month hopes to reinvigorate the years-long effort to forge a global climate deal, even as concerns grow over whether the final pact will be rigorous enough to address threa…
Brazil polls show Silva surge halted ahead of October election
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has gained some ground against opposition candidate Marina Silva whose surge in voter support for the October elections has ended, two new polls showed on Wednesday.
NATO shakes up Russia strategy over Ukraine crisis
NEWPORT Wales (Reuters) – NATO will bolster its eastern defenses and buttress support for Kiev at a summit starting on Thursday, prompted by the Ukraine crisis to enact the most radical shift in its strategy towards Russia since the end of the Cold War…
U.N. denies Golan peacekeepers ordered to hand arms to Syria rebels
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The U.N. peacekeeping chief strongly denied on Wednesday allegations from the Philippines’ army chief that Filipino peacekeepers in the Golan Heights were ordered to surrender their weapons to Islamist militants who had trapp…
Venezuela reshuffles cabinet, backs away from economic shake-up
CARACAS (Reuters) – President Nicolas Maduro has reshuffled his cabinet in a bid to boost his popularity but shows no sign of revamping Venezuela’s troubled economy, meaning prospects of gasoline price hikes and a unification of Byzantine currency cont…
Brazil poll says Rousseff rebounds, still seen losing Oct runoff
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has narrowed opposition candidate Marina Silva’s lead in a likely runoff in October’s election to seven percentage points from nine last week, an opinion poll showed on Wednesday.
Top Colombian general says rebels will be defeated if no peace deal
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s military will not stand in the way of a peace deal between the government and leftist rebels, but would defeat the guerrillas on the battlefield if an accord fell through, the head of the armed forces said on Wednesday.
Attack on Somali Islamist leader seen triggering power struggle
NAIROBI (Reuters) – A hail of U.S. missiles aimed at the leader of Somalia’s al Shabaab militants may have left a gaping hole in the group’s leadership, potentially the biggest challenge to its unity since it emerged as a fighting force eight years ago…
Putin unveils Ukraine ceasefire plan, France halts warship
KIEV/ULAN BATOR (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin outlined plans for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday but Ukraine’s prime minister dismissed the proposal, while France expressed its disapproval of Moscow’s support for separatist forces by…
Al Qaeda announces India wing, renews loyalty to Taliban chief
DUBAI (Reuters) – Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahri on Wednesday announced the formation of an Indian branch of his militant group he said would spread Islamic rule and “raise the flag of jihad” across the subcontinent.
