Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war (POW) on Wednesday after intense negotiations mediated by the United Arab Emirates. The exchange was the first in nearly five months and is the largest documented swap between the countries since Russia launched a full-scale invasion nearly two years ago. Ukrainian …
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A New Zealand fisherman managed to survive more than 23 hours in the ocean after falling overboard in what police are describing as an “absolute miracle.” Will Fransen was pulled out of the sea near Mayor Island on Wednesday after a trio of fisherman “noticed an unusual reflection on the …
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VATICAN CITY – There’s something of a whodunit going on in the Vatican to discover who leaked Pope Francis’ environment encyclical to an Italian newsweekly, deflating the release of the most anticipated and feared papal document in recent times. L’Espresso magazine published the full 191 pages of “Laudato Si” (Be …
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ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar – The African Union has welcomed the decision by Madagascar’s high court to reject parliament’s effort to impeach the president. Chairwoman of the union’s commission, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, in a Wednesday statement called on decision makers to be responsible and avoid further instability after years of crisis. The …
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NICOSIA, Cyprus – The International Monetary Fund has approved a $314 million disbursement for bailed-out Cyprus, praising the country’s progress in meeting fiscal targets while urging authorities to push ahead with structural reforms. The IMF said Friday that Cyprus has so far received nearly three quarters of a $1.13 billion …
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CAIRO – Switzerland is dropping part of a prosecution case against Egypt’s longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, his close aids and family members, involving hundreds of millions of Swiss francs frozen in Swiss banks. Switzerland froze the funds and opened criminal proceedings over suspicion of money laundering and “support of a …
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MEXICO CITY – Mexican authorities say they found six tigers, seven baboons, four camels and three dromedaries abandoned in cages without food, water or adequate care in the southern Mexico state of Yucatan. The passage of laws forbidding animal acts in circuses has raised fears that the exotic species might …
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HONG KONG – Hong Kong police charged a prominent figure in Macau’s casino junket industry with laundering 1.8 billion Hong Kong dollars ($231 million) through bank accounts in the southern Chinese city. Cheung Chi-tai is facing three separate counts of money laundering, according to a charge sheet. The businessman was …
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AMSTERDAM – Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte says he supports moves to set up an international tribunal to prosecute those responsible for shooting down a Malaysian Airlines plane over Ukraine last year. Nearly 200 of the 298 passengers and crew killed when the Boeing 777 was brought down were Dutch. …
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HARARE, Zimbabwe – Church leaders and opposition politicians have accused the Zimbabwean government of foot-dragging in the search for an activist who has been missing for four months. Religious and opposition leaders addressed hundreds of people at a prayer rally for activist Itai Dzamara on Saturday in the capital Harare. …
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