(Corrects key word used by some media clients to USA-MILITARY/SYRIA from US-MILITARY/SYRIA) WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. military will consolidate its presence in Syria over the coming weeks and months in a move that could reduce the number of troops it has in the country by half, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on Friday. The …
US military to slash troops in Syria to under 1,000 Read More »
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis, still recovering from double pneumonia, did not attend an annual procession on Friday at Rome’s Colosseum with thousands of Catholic faithful for the third year in a row. The 88-year-old pontiff, who is limiting his public appearances on doctors’ orders, skipped an outdoor ceremony for Good Friday, the day …
Pope Francis, still recovering, skips Rome’s annual Good Friday procession Read More »
By Maya Gebeily (Reuters) -Two U.S. Congress members landed in Damascus on Friday to meet Syrian officials, the first visit by American lawmakers to the war-ravaged country since Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power by an Islamist-led rebel offensive in December. The two are U.S. Representatives Cory Mills of Florida, who serves on the House …
U.S. congressmen visit Syria in first trip since Assad’s ouster Read More »
By Nate Raymond and Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) -A federal appeals court rejected on Friday a request by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to allow it to move forward with stripping temporary legal protections for about 350,000 Venezuelan migrants, exposing them to imminent deportation. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to pause …
Court rejects Trump bid to end Venezuelan migrants’ legal status Read More »
By James Mackenzie JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli airstrikes hit about 40 targets across the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military said on Friday, hours after Hamas rejected an Israeli ceasefire offer that it said fell short of its demand to agree a full end to the war. Last month the Israeli military broke off …
Israeli strikes hit dozens of targets in Gaza as ceasefire efforts stall Read More »
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Friday ordered the suspension of a military offensive against a faction of what was once the armed Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in order to make headway on peace talks with the rebel group. The suspension follows the expiration earlier this week of a bilateral ceasefire …
Colombia’s Petro pauses FARC offensive in order to progress in peace talks Read More »
KYIV (Reuters) – Following is the complete text of a memorandum of intent signed on Thursday by Ukraine and the United States, confirming their intent to conclude a deal on jointly developing Ukrainian natural resources. The text below was posted on Friday on the website of the Ukrainian government. MEMORANDUM OF INTENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT …
Full text of US-Ukraine memorandum of intent for minerals deal Read More »
By Parisa Hafezi DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran told the United States in talks last week it was ready to accept some limits on its uranium enrichment but needed watertight guarantees President Donald Trump would not again ditch a nuclear pact, a senior Iranian official said on Friday. Iran and the United States are set to …
BISSAU (Reuters) – Four foreign nationals convicted of trafficking 2.63 metric tons of cocaine in Guinea-Bissau last September have been transferred to the United States to face another trial there, the U.S. Justice Department said on Friday. Ramon Manriquez Castillo, a dual U.S. and Mexican citizen; Mexican citizen Edgar Rodriguez Ruano; Fernando Javier Escobar Tito …
Four convicted in Guinea-Bissau cocaine bust transferred to US Read More »
CELJE, Slovenia (Reuters) – A Slovenian court on Friday brought the first-instance ruling to acquit Janez Jansa, a three-time prime minister and the key opposition figure in the Alpine country, and two alleged accomplices on charges of abuse of office and corruption. Jansa, the president of the largest opposition Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), had dismissed …
Court acquits Slovenia’s ex-PM Jansa of corruption charges Read More »
