Colombia defense minister says troop cuts after peace ‘big mistake’
BOGOTA (Reuters) – It would be a “big mistake” for Colombia to reduce troop numbers or cut its security budget if a peace agreement is signed with Marxist FARC rebels to end a half century of war, the defense minister said on Thursday.
Syria meets deadline to destroy chemical production facilities
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syria has destroyed or rendered inoperable all of its declared chemical weapons production and mixing facilities, meeting a major deadline in an ambitious disarmament program, the international chemical weapons watchdog said Thursday…
German MP meets Snowden, says he is willing to come to Germany for inquiry
BERLIN (Reuters) – A German lawmaker said he met Edward Snowden in Moscow on Thursday and the fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor was willing to come to Germany to assist investigations into alleged U.S. surveillance of Chancellor Angela Merkel….
Russian lawyer says Snowden to start website job
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden has found a job working for a website in Russia, where he was granted asylum after fleeing the United States, a Russian lawyer helping him said on Thursday.
Niger says 92 migrants found dead in Sahara after failed crossing
NIAMEY (Reuters) – Rescuers have found the bodies of 92 migrants, most of them women and children, strewn across the Sahara desert in northern Niger after their vehicles broke down and they died of thirst, authorities said on Thursday.
Jailed indigenous teacher freed under new Mexican pardon law
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – An indigenous Mexican teacher jailed over a decade ago for the slayings of seven people was released on Thursday under a pardon by President Enrique Pena Nieto after the government found evidence the teacher’s rights had been ab…
Germany rejects U.S. criticism of export reliance
BERLIN (Reuters) – Angela Merkel’s conservatives on Thursday rejected U.S. criticism of Germany’s dependence on exports but her likely future coalition partner agreed Europe’s bulwark economy must do more to spur domestic demand.
Russia demands U.S. explanation over blacklisted singer
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s foreign ministry asked the United States on Thursday to explain why it had imposed sanctions on a well-known singer and supporter of President Vladimir Putin, calling the move “unacceptable”.
Analysis: Aquino’s Mr Clean image skewered by Philippine pork barrel politics
MANILA (Reuters) – A scandal over lawmakers’ misuse of public funds has become the biggest crisis of Philippine President Benigno Aquino’s three-year rule, tainting his carefully crafted image as a corruption fighter and undermining his ability to push…
Peru’s Humala swears in fourth prime minister, retains finance minister
LIMA (Reuters) – Peru’s President Ollanta Humala swore in a widely praised regional politician as his fourth prime minister in a mini-cabinet reshuffle on Thursday, but retained his finance minister despite rumors he might quit.
