Reuters: Top News

China defies U.S. pressure as EU parts ways with Iranian oil (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
China, seeking to skirt U.S. sanctions, will use oil tankers from Iran for its purchases of that country's crude, throwing Tehran a lifeline while European companies such as France's Total are walking away due to fear of reprisals from Washington.
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Total tells Iran it's quitting South Pars gas project (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
French oil and gas major Total confirmed on Monday that it had notified the Iranian authorities of its withdrawal from the multi-billion dollar South Pars gas project after it failed to obtain a waiver from U.S. sanctions.
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Brazil poll shows jailed Lula extending lead for October election (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
Jailed former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has increased his support by 5 percentage points and would win Brazil's October presidential election if he was allowed to run, a poll by CNT/MDA showed on Monday.
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New Pakistan PM Khan calls for austerity; wants bullet-proof cars sold (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
(In this August 19 story, corrects translation of Khan quote in para 20 to clarify he was referring to a struggle, not holy war)
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Trump has responsibility towards media, U.N. rights boss says (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
The U.N. rights chief said on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump bears "a heavy responsibility" for how the media is portrayed and that his remarks could have a knock-on effect that could hurt journalists in other countries.
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Taliban reject Afghan ceasefire, kidnap nearly 200 bus passengers (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
The Taliban rejected on Monday an Afghan government offer of a ceasefire and said they would persist with their attacks, militant commanders said, while insurgents ambushed three buses and nearly 200 passengers traveling for a holiday.
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ConocoPhillips settles with Venezuela's PDVSA to recover $2 billion (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
U.S. producer ConocoPhillips on Monday said Venezuela's PDVSA agreed to pay $2 billion to settle an arbitration award, suspending a dispute that blocked the state-run oil firm from exporting crude from most of its key Caribbean facilities.
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With inflation soaring, Venezuela prices shed five zeros (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
Venezuela on Monday slashed five zeros from prices as part of a broad economic plan that President Nicolas Maduro says will tame hyperinflation but critics call another raft of failed socialist policies that will push the chaotic country deeper into crisis.
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Shots fired at U.S. embassy in Turkish capital, no casualties (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
The U.S. Embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara came under brief gunfire early on Monday but nobody was hurt in the incident, which coincides with increased tensions between the two NATO allies over the trial of a U.S. pastor in Turkey.
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Erdogan invokes patriotism, Islam as lira remains under pressure (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
President Tayyip Erdogan appealed to Turks' religious and patriotic feelings ahead of a major Muslim holiday on Monday, promising they would not be brought "to their knees" by an economic crisis that has battered the lira currency.
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Dow, S&P higher on trade talk optimism, Nasdaq slips on tech weakness (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
The S&P 500 and Dow Industrials rose on Monday on optimism around the upcoming Sino-U.S. trade talks, but the Nasdaq fell as technology stocks retreated.
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Islamic State claims attacks on police targets in Russia's Chechnya (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
Militants in the Russian region of Chechnya staged a series of attacks on police targets on Monday, the leader of the region and law enforcement officials said, and Islamic State claimed responsibility, without providing evidence.
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PepsiCo puts fizz into healthy drinks with $3.2 billion SodaStream deal (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
PepsiCo will buy carbonated drink-machine maker SodaStream for $3.2 billion as it battles Coca-Cola for an edge in the health-conscious beverage market.
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Exclusive: Pentagon raises alarm about sharp drop in Iraqi refugees coming to U.S. (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
Military officials are sounding the alarm inside the Trump administration about the sharp drop in admission to the United States of Iraqi refugees who have helped American troops in battle, said two U.S. officials aware of the internal discussions.
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Thousands of Brazilian soldiers swarm Rio slums in anti-drug war (Mon, 20 Aug 2018)
Thousands of Brazilian soldiers swept into slums in northern Rio de Janeiro on Monday, the army said, targeting drug gangs in violent shootouts that killed at least eight people and trapped terrified local residents in their homes.
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