French police search for 'The Fly' after deadly prison van escape
By Gabriel Stargardter PARIS (Reuters) - Hundreds of police fanned out across northern France on a massive manhunt for a fugitive gangster known as "The Fly" on Wednesday, a day after he was sprung from a prison van by gunmen in an attack that kill...
31m ago
Portugal's new government favours tougher sanctions against Russia
LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's new government is keen on ramping up sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Environment and Energy Minister Maria da Graca Carvalho said on Wednesday. The centre-right minority government took over last mont...
32m ago
Explainer-Why is Russia holding nuclear exercises - and what to watch for?
By Guy Faulconbridge and Mark Trevelyan MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to practise the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons after what Moscow said were threats from France, Britain and the United Stat...
53m ago
Battles rage across Gaza Strip, Israel shows images of gunmen at UN site
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and James Mackenzie CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli troops fought militants across Gaza on Wednesday, including in the southern city of Rafah that had been a refuge for civilians, in an upsurge of the more than seven-month ...
1h ago
Thai PM orders probe into death of activist in pre-trial detention
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin ordered an investigation on Wednesday into the death of a young political activist who died after she went on a partial hunger strike during pre-trial detention on charges including insulting...
1h ago
UN prosecutor confirms death of last two Rwanda genocide fugitives
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The last two suspects sought by a U.N. tribunal over their alleged role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide died in 1998, the U.N. war crimes prosecutor tasked with finding them said on Wednesday. The prosecutor said investigations h...
1h ago
Swiss court convicts Gambian ex-minister in crimes against humanity case
ZURICH (Reuters) - A Swiss federal court on Wednesday found a former government minister from Gambia guilty of crimes against humanity under former dictator Yahya Jammeh, according to a Geneva non-governmental organisation providing support for the...
1h ago
Biden speaks at police memorial in bid to shore up support as unions endorse Trump
By Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will address a large gathering of police officers on Wednesday as he tries to prevent rival Donald Trump from capturing high-profile endorsements from their unions in the coming weeks. The speech a...
1h ago
Blinken praises Ukrainian resilience as he tours Kyiv grain facility
By Simon Lewis KYIV (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday praised the resilience of Ukraine's grain production in the face of Russian attacks as he toured a U.S.-supported transshipment facility on the outskirts of Kyiv. R...
1h ago
Brazil flooding will take weeks to subside, experts warn
By Lisandra Paraguassu PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil's southernmost state capital may suffer severe flooding for weeks to come, experts warn, compounding the struggles of half a million people forced to abandon their inundated homes. Part...
1h ago
One killed, 12 injured in Afghan air force helicopter crash
By Mohammad Yunus Yawar KABUL (Reuters) - A helicopter used by the Afghan air force crashed as it attempted an emergency landing in central Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring 12, the defence ministry said. The Mi17 aircraft e...
2h ago
Russia says Blinken's Kyiv visit sign of U.S. alarm over frontline situation
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Kyiv looked like a sign of Washington's growing alarm over the frontline situation and what it called Ukrainian military failur...
2h ago
Irish welfare cuts will hit one in three Ukrainian refugees - minister
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland's decision to slash welfare payments for Ukrainian refugees in state accommodation will impact close to one third of the 86,000 people who fled Russia's invasion and remain in Ireland, Finance Minister Michael McGrath sai...
2h ago
EU urges Georgia to withdraw 'foreign agent' bill
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union urged Georgia on Wednesday to withdraw its controversial "foreign agents" law and warned that the measure would set back the country's ambitions to join the bloc. "The adoption of this law negatively impacts ...
2h ago
Ukraine's Zelenskiy cancels visit to Spain and Portugal
MADRID (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has cancelled a visit to Spain and Portugal, authorities said on Wednesday, with CNN Portugal and other media reporting it was because of renewed fighting in his country. King Felipe of Spa...
2h ago
Germany has almost 4 billion euros in frozen Russian assets, finance ministry says
By Christian Kraemer BERLIN (Reuters) - There are Russian assets worth 3.95 billion euros ($4.28 billion) currently frozen in Germany, according to a letter from the finance ministry seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The figure includes assets of indiv...
2h ago
Third miner dies after collapse at Polish pit
WARSAW (Reuters) - A third person has died after a partial collapse at the Myslowice-Wesola mine in southern Poland, an executive of the site's owner said. Of the 15 workers on site at the time, two were reported as having died on Tuesday, one was ...
3h ago
Fighting intensifies between Israel and Hamas-led militants in north and south Gaza
By Nidal al-Mughrabi CAIRO (Reuters) - Gun battles between Israel and militants from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and smaller Palestinian factions intensified overnight into some of the fiercest in months in both northern and southern Gaza, both sides said...
3h ago
Ukraine plans record power imports after Russian attacks on energy system
(Fixes syntax in lead paragraph.) KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine plans record high electricity imports on Wednesday after significant energy infrastructure damage from recent Russian strikes on its energy system, the energy ministry said, warning that th...
3h ago
Russia takes up positions in Ukraine town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv region, local police chief says
KYIV (Reuters) - Russian forces were establishing positions inside the Ukrainian border town of Vovchansk in the northeastern Kharkiv region on Wednesday and fighting there was intense, the local police chief said. The capture of the town 5 kilomet...
3h ago
Russia warns EU against restrictions against Russian media
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia on Wednesday warned the European Union that if the bloc imposed restrictions on Russian media then Western reporters in Russia would feel a swift, harsh and painful response from the Russian state. European Commission Vice...
3h ago
Indonesia can achieve 8% growth, President-elect Prabowo says
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia can easily achieve 8% economic growth, President-elect Prabowo Subianto told the Qatar Economic Forum on Wednesday, and he said the country is not protectionist. Prabowo is set to assume leadership of Southeast Asia's ...
3h ago
UN launches probe into first international staff killed by unidentified strike in Rafah
(Corrects advisory line to flag changes in paragraph 3, not 11) NEW DELHI (Reuters) -The United Nations has launched an investigation into an unidentified strike on a U.N. car in Rafah on Monday that killed its first international staff in Gaza since O...
3h ago
Japan visitors exceed 3 million for 2nd straight month, tourism agency says
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan welcomed more than 3 million visitors for a second straight month in April, official data showed on Wednesday, setting the stage for a potential record year for tourism. The number of foreign visitors for business and leisur...
3h ago
Malaysia to ask Meta to explain removal of Facebook posts on PM's Hamas meeting
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia will ask Meta Platforms to explain the removal of posts from Facebook related to media reports of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's publicised meeting this week with a Hamas leader, its government said on Wednesday. A...
4h ago