Orban loyalists take control of prominent Hungarian news channel
New management close to Prime Minister Viktor Orban took over a prominent Hungarian news television channel on Wednesday, cementing his ruling Fidesz party’s dominance of the media as it solidifies its hold on power.
Thai vendors ignore ban on road stalls in Bangkok backpacker street
Hundreds of street vendors in the Thai capital’s bustling backpacker district of Khaosan road ignored a ban on street vendors introduced on Wednesday and carried on business as usual.
Germany lifts ban on reunions for refugees, rekindles integration debate
Germany on Wednesday resumed family reunifications for some refugees, drawing ire from leftist groups who said a cap of 1,000 people a month was too little and a far-right party opposed to immigration altogether.
Zimbabwe ruling party has two-thirds majority in parliament: official results
Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF has attained two-thirds majority in the National Assembly of parliament, which allows the party to change the constitution at will, official results showed.
Large crowds welcome home Congo presidential hopeful Bemba after long absence
Tens of thousands of cheering supporters greeted opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba on Wednesday as he returned to Democratic Republic of Congo after a decade in prison to submit his candidacy for December’s presidential election.
Congo police fire teargas at opposition leader Bemba’s supporters
Police in Democratic Republic of Congo fired teargas at supporters of opposition leader and presidential hopeful Jean-Pierre Bemba as they thronged the streets to welcome him home after years in prison in The Hague, witnesses said.
Australia yet to strike deal with China for foreign minister’s visit: sources
A schedule for Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to visit China has yet to be agreed, although dates were proposed more than two months ago, two sources said on Wednesday, an impasse in Canberra’s efforts to repair strained relations.
Lebanon speaker says government delay has negative affect
Lebanon’s speaker of parliament Nabih Berri said on Wednesday that “procrastination in forming the government has a negative affect on the situation in Lebanon”, al-Manar television reported.
Russia says Iranian forces pulled back from Golan in Syria; Israel unsatisfied
Iranian forces have withdrawn their heavy weapons in Syria to a distance of 85 km (53 miles) from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, TASS quoted a Russian envoy as saying on Wednesday, but Israel deemed the pullback inadequate.
UK says Brexit no-deal warnings are ‘Project Reality’, not ‘Project Fear’
British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt denied on Wednesday that warnings about fallout from a disorderly exit from the European Union were an attempt to scare opponents of the government’s preferred Brexit plan into supporting it.
