Greece and Turkey trade barbs as Erdogan visits Athens
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece and Turkey squared up over old disputes on Thursday during a state visit to Athens by President Tayyip Erdogan that quickly descended into verbal sparring over a list of historical grievances.
North Korea says U.S. threats make war unavoidable, China urges calm
SEOUL (Reuters) – Two U.S. B-1B heavy bombers joined large-scale combat drills over South Korea on Thursday amid warnings from North Korea that the exercises and U.S. threats have made the outbreak of war “an established fact.”
German SPD backs talks with Merkel after impassioned Europe speech
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) voted on Thursday to hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives on forming a government after their leader made an impassioned plea for a free hand to work for a social “United States of…
EU’s Tusk to make Brexit statement early Friday
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Council President Donald Tusk will make a statement on Brexit early on Friday, his office said on Thursday, prompting speculation on the fate of British Prime Minister Theresa May’s plans for a deal with Brussels.
Hamas calls for Palestinian uprising over Trump’s Jerusalem plan
JERUSALEM/GAZA (Reuters) – The Islamist group Hamas urged Palestinians on Thursday to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising against Israel in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as its capital.
Albania woos luxury hotel brands with tax breaks
TIRANA (Reuters) – Albania is planning to try to lure five-star hotel brands with tax breaks, including scrapping profit and property taxes, to increase its appeal for the higher-end of the tourist trade.
Italy’s 5-Star sheds anti-EU image, calls for reform
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s anti-establishment 5-Star Movement supports the European Union and wants significant law-making powers transferred from governments to the European Parliament, its leader Luigi Di Maio told Reuters.
Argentina’s Fernandez charged with treason, judge orders arrest
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – A federal judge in Argentina indicted former President Cristina Fernandez for treason and asked for her arrest for trying to cover up Iran’s possible role in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center that killed 85 people, …
Ukraine – biggest obstacle to normal Russia ties, says Tillerson
VIENNA (Reuters) – The United States would “badly” like to lift sanctions against Russia but will not do so until Moscow has pulled its forces out of eastern Ukraine and Crimea, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday, calling that the main o…
Defector says thousands of Islamic State fighters left Raqqa in secret deal
ANKARA (Reuters) – A high-level defector from Kurdish-led forces that captured the Syrian city of Raqqa from Islamic State has recanted his account of the city’s fall, saying thousands of IS fighters – many more than first reported – left under a secre…
