Italy faces political gridlock after 5-Star surges
ROME (Reuters) – Italy faces a prolonged period of political instability after voters delivered a hung parliament on Sunday, spurning traditional parties and flocking to anti-establishment and far-right groups in record numbers.
Syrian Observatory: one third of Syria’s Ghouta enclave taken by government
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian army and its allies have captured more than a third of the rebel enclave in eastern Ghouta near Damascus since starting a ground offensive there a week ago, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday.
France’s far-right National Front to change name as Le Pen seeks rebound
PARIS (Reuters) – French far-right leader Marine Le Pen will this weekend unveil a new name for the 45-year-old National Front and a refocus on immigration as it searches for more voters and relevance in a political landscape transformed by President E…
South Korea closes 84-year-old poet’s exhibition amid sexual harassment claims
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s capital has closed an exhibition by poet Ko Un, long the country’s hope for a Nobel Prize in literature, amid allegations of sexual misconduct and the government is considering removing his work from textbooks.
Vatican treasurer faces Australian court for hearing on sex offence charges
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Lawyers for Vatican treasurer Cardinal George Pell asked an Australian court on Monday to allow a support person to sit with him through a four-week pre-trial hearing into charges of historical sexual offences because of his age a…
Trump-Netanyahu meeting is chance to project common front vs. Iran
WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold talks on Monday that offer a chance to project a common front against Iran but are expected to do little to advance seemingly stalled Israel…
South Korean team heads to North in bid to bring U.S., North to nuclear talks
SEOUL (Reuters) – A South Korean delegation left for North Korea on Monday, a presidential official said, aiming to bring the North and the United States together for talks in a bid to rein in the North’s nuclear and missile programs.
U.S. aircraft carrier arrives in Vietnam on landmark visit
DANANG, Vietnam (Reuters) – A U.S. aircraft carrier arrived in Vietnam on Monday for the first time since the end of the Vietnam War, dramatically underscoring the growing strategic ties between the former foes at a time when China’s regional influence…
Italy faces political gridlock as 5-Star surges in election
ROME (Reuters) – Italy faces a prolonged period of political instability after voters delivered a hung parliament in Sunday’s election, spurning traditional parties and flocking to anti-establishment and far-right groups in record numbers.
China boosts defense spending amid military modernization
BEIJING (Reuters) – China on Monday unveiled its largest rise in defense spending in three years, setting a target of 8.1 percent growth over 2017, fuelling an ambitious military modernization program amid rising concerns over its security.
