U.S. sanctions Venezuelan president’s wife, ministers
The United States imposed new sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s wife and key members of his government, including the vice president and defense minister, accusing them of plundering the country’s wealth and helping Maduro maintain his…
Israel opens high-speed rail link between Tel Aviv airport and Jerusalem
Israel opened a high-speed rail link between Tel Aviv’s international airport and Jerusalem on Tuesday, part of a $2 billion project that has drawn Palestinian complaints over its route through small parts of the occupied West Bank.
Trump rejects any meeting with Iran’s Rouhani at U.N. gathering
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would not meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as world leaders gathered in New York but signaled he was open to a future meeting, despite simmering tensions over Tehran’s nuclear deal.
Portugal, Spain, France agree to take in Aquarius migrants
France, Portugal and Spain struck a deal on Tuesday to take in migrants from the Mediterranean rescue ship Aquarius sailing off the coast of Malta, the Portuguese Interior Ministry said, after the Italian government refused to let the vessel dock.
Trump says Iranians must ‘change their tune’ before any meeting
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the Iranians have no choice but to change before a meeting with him can occur, but he looks forward to having a great relationship in the future.
Pope warns nations against defining power as military strength
Pope Francis said on Tuesday as he wound up a trip to the Baltic states, all nervous about what they see as a newly aggressive Russia next door, that nations should not measure their strength by their military capability to prevail over others.
Government blasts right-wing plan for Swiss-first approach on law
The Swiss government urged voters on Tuesday to reject a right-wing proposal to cement Swiss sovereignty on legal matters over international law, saying the plan would force it to cancel treaties, weaken human rights protections and hurt the economy.
‘China’s big mistake’: Pakistanis lobby to free wives trapped in Xinjiang
Pakistani businessmen whose wives and children are trapped in China’s restive Xinjiang are traveling to Beijing to lobby their embassy, in hopes that the south Asian nation’s new government will pressure its ally for their release.
Saudi Arabia opens high-speed train linking Islam’s holiest cities
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Tuesday inaugurated a 6.7 billion euro ($7.87 billion) high-speed rail linking the two holiest cities in Islam, part of efforts to boost tourism revenues as the country seeks to shed dependence on oil exports.
German court says Kuwait Airways cannot be forced to carry Israeli passenger
A German court said on Tuesday that Kuwait’s boycott of Israel was “unacceptable and irrelevant in Germany” but that Kuwait Airways could not be forced to transport Israeli citizens to the Gulf state, backing a controversial lower-court decision.
