World

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil, (Reuters) – A Brazilian appeals court unanimously upheld the corruption conviction of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva yesterday and added to his sentence, a major blow to the popular politician’s plans to run again for the presidency this year.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said yesterday he would be willing to be interviewed under oath by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Chinese scientists have cloned monkeys using the same technique that produced Dolly the sheep two decades ago, breaking a technical barrier that could open the door to copying humans.

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro looked sure to stand for re-election in a presidential vote due by the end of April where the ruling Socialists hope to trump a squabbling opposition despite an economic crisis and foreign sanctions.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was questioned last week by the special counsel’s office investigating potential collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, the U.S.

BENTON, Ky.,  (Reuters) – A 15-year-old boy opened fire with a handgun just before classes started at his high school in rural western Kentucky yesterday, killing two fellow students and wounding a dozen other youths before he was arrested, the state’s governor and police said.

HARARE, (Reuters) – Zimbabwe has given cabinet ministers and senior government officials until the end of February to declare their assets as new President Emmerson Mnangagwa seeks to foster transparency and fight corruption.

BENGHAZI, Libya,  (Reuters) – A double car bombing in the east Libyan city of Benghazi yesterday left at least 33 people dead and dozens more wounded, including senior security figures and civilians, officials said.

LAGOS,  (Reuters) – A standoff between Nigeria’s presidency and parliament over confirmation of new members of the central bank’s interest rate committee is threatening the bank’s independence and damaging fragile investor confidence in Africa’s biggest economy.

ANKARA/BEIRUT,  (Reuters) – Turkey has killed at least 260 Syrian Kurdish fighters and Islamic State militants in its four-day-old offensive into the Kurdish-dominated Afrin region of northwest Syria, the Turkish military said yesterday.

PALONG KHALI, Bangladesh/NAYPYITAW, Myanmar,  (Reuters) – T he U.N. refugee agency and other groups have urged a rethink of the plan to send Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar amid fears of forced repatriations and the inability of aid agencies to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands who fled bloodshed at home.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – Congress voted yesterday to end a three-day U.S.

HASSA, Turkey, (Reuters) – Turkey shelled targets in northwest Syria yesterday and said it would swiftly crush U.S.-backed

COLOMBO, (Reuters) – Exiled former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed, who is fighting for the right to contest a presidential poll this year, said yesterday that land grabbing by China was threatening peace and stability in the Indian Ocean.

BRUSSELS/CARACAS, (Reuters) – The European Union on Monday announced new sanctions on seven senior Venezuelan officials, saying this was an expression of the bloc’s concern with the political crisis under President Nicolas Maduro.

BEIJING, (Reuters) – China’s violence-prone far western region of Xinjiang will build a “Great Wall” around its borders to prevent the infiltration of militants from outside the country, state media reported yesterday citing the regional governor.

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE,  (Reuters) – Pope Francis, in an extremely rare act of self-criticism, apologised to victims of clerical sex abuse on Sunday, acknowledging he had “wounded many” in comments defending a Chilean bishop who is under scrutiny.

GENEVA, (Reuters) – The International Labour Organization will send a mission to Caracas next week to investigate a complaint by Venezuela’s leading business group against the government, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder told a news conference in Geneva yesterday.

DAVOS, Switzerland, (Reuters) – Film star Cate Blanchett, singer-songwriter Elton John and Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan received awards at the World Economic Forum in Davos yesterday for their work raising awareness about human rights issues.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – More than 10 percent of funds raised through “initial coin offerings” are lost or stolen in hacker attacks, according to new research by Ernst & Young that delves into the risks of investing in cryptocurrency projects online.