Shifting sands: What is changing in Saudi Arabia?
(Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has ordered a crackdown on corruption, the latest in a wave of frenetic changes in the kingdom over the past 2-1/2 years. Prince Mohammed says he is determined to remodel his conservative country into a modern state no longer dependent on oil.
Spain’s constitutional court annuls Catalan declaration of independence
MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s Constitutional Court officially annulled the Catalan parliament’s Oct. 27 unilateral declaration of independence on Wednesday, a widely expected ruling after the move was suspended by the court.
Syrian army encircles last IS stronghold: al-Manar
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syria’s army and its allies have surrounded and started to enter Albu Kamal, the largest town Islamic State still holds in Syria and Iraq, the pro-Hezbollah al-Manar television reported on Wednesday.
‘Is this the Trump we know?’ South Koreans wax sanguine after Trump visit
SEOUL (Reuters) – By the time Donald Trump departed Seoul on Wednesday, the sometimes bellicose American president seemed to have mollified South Koreans who had been bracing for more confrontational rhetoric over North Korea, trade, and defense spendi…
Saudi Arabia makes fresh arrests in anti-graft crackdown: sources
RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabian authorities have made further arrests and frozen more bank accounts in an expanding anti-corruption crackdown on the kingdom’s political and business elite, sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday
France says takes U.S. claims Iran violated U.N. resolutions seriously
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday it was taking accusations by the United States that Iran had violated two U.N. Security Council resolutions seriously and urged Iran to comply with all its international commitments.
Myanmar warns U.N. scolding could harm talks with Bangladesh on Rohingya crisis
YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar warned on Wednesday that a scolding delivered by the U.N. Security Council could “seriously harm” its talks with Bangladesh over returning home more than 600,000 people who fled to escape a Myanmar military crackdown.
Philippines’ Duterte to Trump: ‘Lay off’ human rights when we meet
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday he would tell U.S. President Donald Trump to “lay off” if he raises the issue of human rights when they meet.
Catalan strike severs road links as secessionist leaders regroup
BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) – A general strike called by pro-independence campaigners in Catalonia severed transport links on Wednesday, as leaders of its secessionist movement sought to regain political momentum after failing to agree a joint ticket to…
OSCE sees increase in ceasefire violations in east Ukraine
BERLIN (Reuters) – An international security organization called on both sides in eastern Ukraine’s conflict to pull back tanks and other heavy weapons, after five people were injured and a nine-year-old child was killed over the weekend.
