Venezuela blasts U.S. for critique over barred opposition candidate

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s government on Saturday said it rejected the U.S. stance around the South American country’s upcoming elections, calling it “interference,” a day after the U.S. criticized Venezuela’s decision to disqualify an opposition candidate. Maria Corina Machado, one of the favorites to win the Venezuelan opposition’s nomination for president in an October primary,…

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Pope names Argentine bishop, author of kissing book, to top Vatican post

By Philip Pullella (Reuters) – Pope Francis has named an Argentine theologian and prolific author who decades ago wrote a book on the healing properties of kissing to be the Catholic Church’s new doctrinal chief, one of the Vatican’s top posts. A Vatican statement on Saturday said Francis had chosen fellow Argentine Archbishop Victor Manuel…

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China urges Netherlands to not abuse export control measures

BEIJING (Reuters) – China has urged the Netherlands to not hinder bilateral cooperation in the semiconductor industry and to not abuse export controls, China’s Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. The statement was made in response to questions from the media, it said. It also said the two countries have communicated frequently and at…

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