Eletro-belts, spiked batons, even a gas chamber: EU seeks ban on trade in torture items
Trade in instruments for torture and execution should be illegal and could one day be banned under an initiative spearheaded by the European Union, Argentina and Mongolia, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom told Reuters on Friday.
Chilean bishop resigns after comments about Last Supper
A Chilean auxiliary bishop appointed by Pope Francis less than a month ago resigned on Friday, the Archdiocese of Santiago said in a statement, just weeks after he made controversial comments about the lack of women in attendance at the Last Supper.
France’s Macron sides with Cyprus on dispute with Turkey
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Turkey to stop “illegal activities” in Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone and said the European Union would not back down on the issue.
Trump migration deal meets mounting resistance in Mexico
Resistance is growing in Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s ruling coalition to a migration deal struck last week with U.S. President Donald Trump to avert punitive trade tariffs as the implications of the accord become clearer.
Distrust between Sudanese parties makes direct talks impossible: U.S. official
Outside mediation is needed to defuse Sudan’s crisis because the ruling military council and opposition distrust each other too deeply for direct talks following a deadly raid on a protest camp, the top U.S. diplomat for Africa said on Friday.
Britain blames Iran for attacks on tankers in Gulf of Oman
Britain blamed Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on Friday for attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman, saying no other state or non-state actor could have been responsible.
Iran months from hitting enriched uranium cap despite acceleration
Iran has multiplied the speed at which it enriches uranium but it is still far from the maximum rate possible under its nuclear deal with major powers, meaning it would be months before production ceilings are hit, diplomats who follow it say.
Venezuelans rush to Peru border ahead of migration crackdown
Thousands of Venezuelans rushed to Peru’s northern border on Friday in hopes of entering the Andean country before it imposes tough immigration requirements at midnight, as one of the hitherto most welcoming destinations for the migrants in South Ameri…
Trump blames Iran for tanker attacks, fears of confrontation rise
U.S. President Donald Trump blamed Iran on Friday for attacks on two oil tankers at the entrance to the Gulf despite Tehran’s denials, raising fears of a confrontation in the vital oil shipping route.
U.N. chief calls for independent probe into Gulf tanker attacks
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Friday for an independent investigation to establish the facts and who was responsible for attacks on two oil tankers this week in the Gulf of Oman.
