Russian court rejects new appeal by US reporter Evan Gershkovich

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court on Tuesday rejected the latest in a series of appeals by Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich against his pre-trial detention on charges of espionage. Gershkovich, 32, became the first U.S. journalist arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War when he was detained by the Federal Security...

US defense secretary make first public appearance, virtually, since hospitalization

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made his first public appearance, virtually and from home since his secret hospitalization, during a meeting on Ukraine's military needs on Tuesday. Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland on Dec. 22 to treat prostate cancer. He returned to the hospital on...

Trump congratulates Argentine libertarian Milei on election win

(Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated libertarian Javier Milei, an outsider with radical views to fix the economy, on being elected president in Argentina on Sunday. "The whole world was watching! I am very proud of you. You will turn your Country around and truly Make Argentina Great Again!" Trump wrote on his Truth...

Russian court extends custody of US journalist in ‘foreign agent’ case

KAZAN, Russia (Reuters) - Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva had her detention extended by 72 hours on Friday in a case where she is accused of violating Russia's law on foreign agents. Kurmasheva is a Prague-based journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), which is funded by the U.S. Congress and designated by Russia as a foreign...

Putin’s spy master says issue of Ukraine support turning ‘toxic’ in US

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign intelligence chief said on Wednesday that the issue of support for Ukraine was becoming toxic in the United States and that the divisions would deepen ahead of next year's U.S. presidential election. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, the United States and the European Union have...

US offers work permits to half million Venezuelans already in country

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. will grant temporary deportation relief and access to work permits to nearly half a million Venezuelans already in the country, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, a move that follows calls by Democrats to help newly arrived migrants work legally. About 472,000 Venezuelans in the U.S. on or before July 31 now will...

US opposes Trump request to remove judge in federal election case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith on Thursday opposed Donald Trump’s request to remove the federal judge overseeing the criminal case accusing the former U.S. president of attempting to subvert the results of the 2020 election. Smith, whose office is prosecuting the case against Trump, said there was "no valid basis" for U.S. District...

Italian Alpine rescuers (CNSAS) carry U.S. caver Mark Dickey on stretcher as part of a rescue operation in Morca Cave in Mersin province, southern Turkey September 11, 2023. Italian Alpine Rescue/Handout via REUTERS

US caver who was trapped 1,000 metres deep in Turkey may be rescued by Tuesday

ANKARA (Reuters) - An American caver who had become trapped more than 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) underground in southern Turkey has been moved closer to the surface and is expected to be rescued by Tuesday morning, rescuers said. Mark Dickey, 40, was on an international exploration expedition in the Morca cave in Mersin province's Taurus mountains...

NKorea ignores US offer for talks, citing its hostile policy

  FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2021, file photo State Secretary Antony Blinken speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington. Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are heading to Japan and South Korea for four days of talks starting Monday, March 15, as the administration seeks to shore up partnerships with...