Beijing proudly unveils mega-airport due to open in 2019
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s capital unveiled the “shining example” of its 80 billion yuan (£9.1 billion) new airport on Monday, tipped to become one of the world’s largest when it opens in October 2019 amid a massive infrastructure drive overseen by President Xi Jinping.
Jockeying for cash: North Korea allows racetrack gambling as sanctions bite
SEOUL (Reuters) – Punters in North Korea who once risked three years hard labor for gambling are now able to bet on local horse races as the isolated country scrambles to unearth new sources of hard currency amid intensifying international sanctions.
Madrid moves towards direct rule over Catalonia as deadline passes
MADRID/BARCELONA (Reuters) – Spain’s government set the clock ticking on Monday on imposing direct rule over Catalonia, after the region’s leader missed a deadline to clarify whether he had declared independence.
Austrian vote gives mandate to far right to enter coalition talks
VIENNA (Reuters) – Austrians shifted to the right in Sunday’s parliamentary elections, giving the far-right Freedom Party a mandate to enter coalition talks with young conservative victor Sebastian Kurz, who fell short of a parliamentary majority.
EU foreign policy chief expects strong EU backing for Iran deal
LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) – European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Monday she expected strong backing from EU foreign ministers for the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that the U.S. President Donald Trump has repeated…
Death toll from Somalia bomb attacks tops 300
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – More than 300 people died after twin bomb explosions in Mogadishu, an official said on Monday, as locals packed hospitals in search of friends and relatives caught up in Somalia’s deadliest attack in a decade.
Bombs kill Pakistani soldiers hunting U.S.-Canadian family’s kidnappers
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Bomb blasts killed a Pakistani army officer and three soldiers searching for the kidnappers of a freed U.S.-Canadian family in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan, Pakistani and U.S. officials said.
Catalan leader fails to spell out independence stance, calls for talks
MADRID/BARCELONA (Reuters) – Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont failed to clarify on Monday whether he had declared Catalonia’s independence from Spain last week, paving the way for the central government to take control of the region and rule it directl…
Britain’s Johnson says as May heads to Brussels: time to begin serious Brexit talks
LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) – Britain’s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said it was time to begin “serious negotiations” on Brexit, hours before Prime Minister Theresa May visits Brussels in an attempt to unlock the stalled talks.
Iraq says captures positions south of Kirkuk including airbase
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraqi forces captured several positions south of Kirkuk from Kurdish fighters on Monday in their bid to regain control of the oil-rich city, which is part of a region that declared itself independent at a referendum last month.
