Portuguese protest over deadly forest fires, government pledges aid
LISBON (Reuters) – As thousands of Portuguese protested on Saturday over the government’s handling of massive wildfires that have killed 108 people since June, government ministers pledged to spend over 400 million euros ($470 million) in aid.
U.N. ends month-long Libya talks in Tunisia without proposing new date
TUNIS (Reuters) – Month-long U.N.-backed talks aimed at bridging differences between rival Libyan factions ended on Saturday with no discernable progress towards stabilizing the country and paving the way for elections.
Billionaire Babis scores big Czech election win, seeks partners to rule
PRAGUE (Reuters) – Czech billionaire Andrej Babis won a thumping victory in Saturday’s election as voters shunned traditional parties and gave a mandate to the anti-establishment businessman pledging to fight political corruption while facing fraud cha…
Trump: Raqqa fall ‘critical breakthrough’, end of Islamic State in sight
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday hailed the defeat of Islamic State fighters in their self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa as “a critical breakthrough” in a worldwide campaign against the militants.
Malta offers 1 million-euro reward to find journalist’s killers
VALLETTA (Reuters) – Malta’s government said on Saturday it was offering a reward of 1 million euros ($1.2 million) for information leading to the conviction of those responsible for the death of prominent journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Madrid to impose direct rule in Catalonia to quash independence bid
MADRID/BARCELONA (Reuters) – The Spanish government will impose direct rule on Catalonia, it said on Saturday, in an unprecedented move that brought thousands of people who voted for independence onto to the streets against what they called a “coup”.
Turkey bank regulator dismisses ‘rumors’ after Iran sanctions report
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s banking regulator urged the public on Saturday to ignore rumors about financial institutions, in an apparent dismissal of a report that some Turkish banks face billions of dollars of U.S. fines over alleged violations of Ira…
Ramping up rhetoric, Turkey’s Erdogan chastises U.S. over democracy
ISTANBUL/ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan showed no retreat from a diplomatic row with the United States on Saturday, castigating Washington for what he said an “undemocratic” indictment against his security detail.
U.N. fails to bridge differences in month-long Libya talks in Tunisia
TUNIS (Reuters) – The United Nations has failed to bridge differences between rival Libyan factions at month-long talks in Tunisia aimed at stabilizing the oil producing nation and paving the way for elections.
Car bomb kills 15 Afghan cadets, trainers outside Kabul military school
KABUL (Reuters) – A suicide attacker rammed a car full of explosives into a bus leaving Afghanistan’s top military training center in Kabul on Saturday, killing at least 15 soldiers, including cadets and their trainers, officials said.
