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.
Kurds offer to suspend independence vote, seek talks with Baghdad
BAGHDAD/CAIRO (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 rather than military means.
Australia campuses warned of ‘clandestine’ influence in apparent poke at China
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s domestic spy chief has warned that universities need to be “very conscious” of foreign interference in an apparent reference to China’s perceived undercover influence on campuses.
Tillerson to meet India’s Modi amid China’s rising influence in Asia
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday on his first official visit to South Asia, as the world’s two biggest democracies look to deepen economic and strategic ties amid Chi…
South Korea court appoints new defense team for ex-president Park
SEOUL (Reuters) – A South Korean court on Wednesday assigned five state attorneys to defend disgraced former president Park Geun-hye, following her defense team’s resignation last week in protest at the extension of her detention period until April nex…
Kenyan police seal off Supreme Court ahead of vote delay hearing
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenyan police sealed off the Supreme Court building in the capital on Wednesday as judges prepared to hear a petition to delay this week’s presidential election, a re-run of an August vote that was nullified by the same court.
U.S. says ‘administrative error’ blocked Indonesia military chief’s travel
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s military chief was temporarily barred from traveling to the United States at the weekend due to an “administrative error”, the U.S. embassy in Jakarta said in an online statement on Wednesday.
Kurdistan region offers to freeze independence vote, engage in talks with Baghdad
CAIRO/BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) offered on Wednesday to put an independence referendum on hold as part of efforts to end the military confrontation with Iraqi forces, and resolve the crisis with the central government …
