Spain asks Catalan leader to ‘act sensibly’ as direct rule deadline nears
MADRID/BARCELONA (Reuters) – Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy urged Catalonia’s leader on Wednesday to “act sensibly” and renounce an independence bid to head off a threat by Madrid to impose direct rule, a prospect that has sent shock waves acros…
Vote may have put independence out of reach for Iraqi Kurds
ERBIL (Reuters) – The Kurdish independence vote championed by their leader Masoud Barzani was a gamble that may have made his quest for a homeland more elusive than ever.
Damages for Grenfell fire victims may total just $5 million: Reuters analysis
LONDON (Reuters) – The bill for compensating families of those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire in London may be as low as 4 million pounds ($5 million), according to several lawyers and a Reuters analysis of how damages laws apply in England.
Austria’s far-right stakes claim to interior ministry ahead of coalition talks
VIENNA (Reuters) – Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPO) on Wednesday named control of the interior ministry as its price for joining a future coalition government following its strong showing in a parliamentary election.
Saudi airplane arrives in Baghdad for first time in 27 years: Iraq
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – A Saudi Arabian airplane arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday for the first time in 27 years, a statement from the Iraqi transport ministry said.
Russian, Israeli leaders discuss Iran nuclear program, Syria, Iraq
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the Iran nuclear program, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
Austria’s far-right sets interior ministry as price for joining next coalition
VIENNA (Reuters) – Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPO) will only join the next coalition government if it can run the interior ministry, its leader said on Wednesday, following the party’s strong showing in a parliamentary election.
Pakistani Taliban suicide bomber rams police truck, kills 7
QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) – A Pakistani Taliban suicide bomber rammed a car into a police truck in the southwestern city of Quetta on Wednesday, killing at least seven people, police said.
Billionaire Branson targeted in $5 million scam ‘straight out of le Carre’
LONDON (Reuters) – Richard Branson, billionaire founder of the Virgin group, has revealed he was targeted by a fraudster posing as Britain’s defense minister who tried to get him to contribute $5 million to a supposed secret ransom payment.
Khamenei says Iran will ‘shred’ nuclear deal if U.S. quits it
ANKARA (Reuters) – Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday Tehran would stick to its 2015 nuclear accord with world powers as long as the other signatories respected it, but would “shred” the deal if Washington pulled out, state…
