U.S., Vietnam to intensify talks despite protests
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and Vietnam have agreed to intensify talks on a regional free-trade agreement in hopes of finishing by the end of the year, the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office said on Wednesday, following a call by labor and…
Militants kill 14 Shi’ites after checking ID cards in north Iraq
TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) – Militants shot dead 14 Shi’ite tanker-drivers after checking their identity papers at a makeshift roadblock on the main route leading north from the Iraqi capital late on Wednesday, police said.
African Union asks Sudan to extend deadline to halt South Sudan’s oil
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – The African Union has asked Sudan to extend a deadline to halt oil flows to South Sudan, state-linked media said on Wednesday, in a last-ditch effort to keep crucial oil exports going.
Mexican government to propose constitutional energy reform in August
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto will present a constitutional energy reform to Congress in August, setting the stage for major new private investment in the oil sector, a top lawmaker said on Wednesday.
Colombia report reveals deadly extent of five-decade conflict
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Almost a quarter of a million Colombians have been killed over the last 54 years of bloody strife, most of them civilians, a government-funded report revealed on Wednesday, providing fresh evidence of the vast scale of human rights v…
Spanish government believes train derailment was accident: spokeswoman
MADRID (Reuters) – The Spanish government’s main working hypothesis concerning the derailment of a train in the northern region of Galicia is that it was an accident, a government spokeswoman told Reuters.
Militants kill 14 Shi’ites after checking ID cards in north Iraq
TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) – Militants killed 14 Shi’ite tanker-drivers after checking their identity papers at a makeshift roadblock on the main route leading north from the Iraqi capital late on Wednesday, police said.
Syria government rocket attack kills 15 Palestinian refugees: activists
AMMAN (Reuters) – Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad killed at least 15 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in a rocket attack on a rebel-held refugee camp on the southern edge of Damascus on Wednesday, opposition activists said.
Japan likely to mull pre-emptive strike ability in defence update
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan is likely to start considering acquiring the ability to launch pre-emptive military strikes in an update of its basic defense policies, the latest step away from the constraints of its pacifist constitution.
Top U.S. general cautious of consequences of Syria action
LASK, Poland (Reuters) – The top U.S. military officer said on Wednesday he was cautious over recommending armed intervention in Syria, concerned that ill-conceived action could turn the country into a failed state.
