Thailand kicks off sumptuous funeral of King Bhumibol Adulyadej
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand on Wednesday marked the start of a lavish, five-day funeral for King Bhumibol Adulyadej with a Buddhist religious ceremony attended by senior members of its royal family.
Vietnam jails student activist six years for propaganda against the state
(Reuters) – A Vietnamese student activist was jailed for six years plus four years of probation by a local court on Wednesday for conducting propaganda against the state, his lawyer said.
Kenya crisis deepens as vote delay petition goes unheard
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenya plunged deeper into crisis on Wednesday as a shortage of judges scuppered an eleventh-hour petition to delay a presidential election and the governor of a volatile opposition region endorsed rebellion against the state.
UK expects EU guidance on Brexit transition deal by December: minister
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain expects the European Union to provide guidance on its approach to a Brexit transitional deal by December, Brexit minister David Davis said on Wednesday, outlining his hopes of reaching a swift deal.
Kurds offer to suspend independence drive, seek talks with Baghdad
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Kurdish authorities in Iraq offered on Wednesday to put an independence drive on hold, stepping up efforts to resolve a crisis in relations with Baghdad via dialogue.
Mattis praises Philippine army on winning fight in Marawi without rights abuse
CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Philippines (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday praised Filipino soldiers for defeating pro-Islamic State militants in a five-month battle in a southern Philippine city without allegations of human rights vio…
German police find guns, ammunition in raid of suspected Islamist militant
BERLIN (Reuters) – German police confiscated large amounts of guns and ammunition in a Tuesday evening sweep of four locations in Berlin linked to a 40-year-old German man suspected of belonging to militant Islamist circles, police said on Wednesday.
German three-way coalition still a way off, Greens say
BERLIN (Reuters) – A three-way coalition between Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens is still a long way off despite an agreement not to raise Germany’s debt, the Greens leader said on Wednesday.
Restoring legality in Catalonia is Spanish government priority: PM Rajoy
MADRID (Reuters) – One of the priorities for Spain’s government is restoring “normality and legality” in the wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told parliament on Wednesday.
French government spokesman gets Macron’s backing to lead party
PARIS (Reuters) – French government spokesman Christophe Castaner said on Wednesday that Emmanuel Macron was backing him to lead the year-old Republic on the Move (LREM) party that brought the president to victory earlier this year.
