North Korea warns of retaliation against U.S-South Korea military drills
North Korea threatened on Wednesday to retaliate if the United States goes ahead with scheduled military drills with South Korea, ramping up pressure on Washington to change course as a year-end North Korean deadline for U.S. flexibility approaches.
Venice still waiting for Moses to hold back the seas
If everything had gone according to plan, Tuesday’s high tide should never have reached the lagoon city of Venice, let alone flood its basilica, submerge its squares and inundate its historic palaces.
Afghan prisoner swap for American, Australian did not occur: diplomat
The planned exchange of two senior Taliban commanders and a leader of the Haqqani militant group for an American and an Australian kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2016 has not taken place, a diplomat and a former Afghan official said on Wednesday.
Bolivia’s new leader seeks quick vote, foes plan disruptions
Bolivia’s new interim president pledged on Wednesday to hold a new election as soon as possible and condemned “revenge” acts by disgruntled supporters of fallen leader Evo Morales who resigned after protests over a disputed vote.
Iran says fugitive businessman charged with corruption returns home
A fugitive Iranian businessman charged with financial crimes and accused of ties to President Hassan Rouhani’s brother, who has been jailed for graft, has returned home, the country’s judiciary said on Wednesday.
Tunisia’s parliament picks moderate Islamist party leader as speaker
Tunisia’s new parliament on Wednesday elected Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, as its speaker after the rival Heart of Tunisia party backed him, opening the way for a possible coalition government between them.
Car bomb explosion kills seven in Afghan capital
At least seven people were killed and 10 others, including four foreign nationals, wounded in Kabul on Wednesday when a van packed with explosive targeted a vehicle belonging to a foreign security company, Afghan security officials said.
U.S. adds companies to economic blacklist for providing WMD activity support in Syria
The U.S. Commerce Department on Wednesday added more than a dozen companies and individuals to its trade blacklist for allegedly providing material support to chemical and biological weapons activity in Syria and diverting U.S. items to Iran without au…
New Bolivian leader seeks quick vote, foes plan disruptions
Bolivia’s new interim president pledged on Wednesday to hold a new election as soon as possible and condemned “revenge” acts by disgruntled supporters of fallen leader Evo Morales who resigned after protests over a disputed vote.
Cirque de Soleil founder Guy Laliberté in custody for growing cannabis in French Polynesia
The founder of Cirque de Soleil, Guy Laliberté, has been taken into police custody in French Polynesia for growing cannabis, Laliberté’s investment firm said on Wednesday.
