Austria’s conservative shift opens path to power for far right
VIENNA (Reuters) – Austria’s shift to the right in a parliamentary election has paved the way for young conservative star Sebastian Kurz to become the country’s next leader and opened a path for the resurgent far right to return to power.
Madrid moves towards direct rule over Catalonia
MADRID/BARCELONA (Reuters) – Spain moved closer on Monday to imposing central rule over Catalonia to thwart its push for independence after Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont missed an initial deadline to make his intentions clear.
Pope implicitly criticizes U.S. for leaving Paris climate accord
ROME (Reuters) – Pope Francis implicitly criticized the United States on Monday for pulling out of the Paris agreement on climate change, praising it as a means to control the devastating effects of global warming.
U.S. Army Sergeant Bergdahl to enter plea in desertion case
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Reuters) – U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, accused of endangering the fellow soldiers who searched for him after he walked off his combat outpost in Afghanistan in 2009 and was captured by the Taliban, is scheduled to enter a plea i…
EU vows to save Iran deal, fears for North Korea mediation
LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) – The European Union vowed on Monday to defend a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and urged U.S. lawmakers not to reimpose sanctions after President Donald Trump chose not to certify Tehran’s compliance with the acco…
Islamic State claims two rockets fired from Sinai into Israel
CAIRO (Reuters) – Islamic state has claimed responsibility for two rockets fired on Sunday from Egypt’s Sinai peninsula into Israel, an official statement by the group said on Monday.
‘Mad dog’ anti-Trump leaflets, suspected floated in from North Korea, turn up in Seoul
SEOUL (Reuters) – Propaganda fliers presumed to be from North Korea and calling U.S. President Donald Trump a “mad dog” have turned up across central Seoul, including near the presidential Blue House, according to posts on social media and people who f…
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.
