China-Hong Kong bridge to unity, or tentacle of Beijing control?
PEARL RIVER ESTUARY, China (Reuters) – As a 30-km (19-mile) bridge between Hong Kong and China across the Pearl River estuary nears completion, Chinese officials are hoping it will bring more than economic integration at a time of growing tension betwe…
Greek parliament approves more austerity to unlock bailout funds, debt relief
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek lawmakers approved pension cuts and tax hikes on Thursday sought by the country’s lenders to unlock vital financial aid, as angry demonstrators protested outside parliament over new austerity, the latest since the country plung…
Decisively re-elected, Rouhani defies hardliners, pledges to open Iran
DUBAI/BEIRUT (Reuters) – President Hassan Rouhani pledged on Saturday to open Iran to the world and deliver freedoms its people have yearned for, throwing down a defiant challenge to his hardline opponents after securing a decisive re-election for a se…
Venezuela Supreme Court judges hit with U.S. sanctions
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Trump administration imposed sanctions on the chief judge and seven other members of Venezuela’s Supreme Court on
Mayhem rages in west Venezuela; Capriles blocked from U.N. trip
SAN CRISTOBAL, Venezuela/CARACAS (Reuters) – Mobs looted shops and fought security forces overnight in Venezuela’s restive western region, where three soldiers were being charged on Thursday with the fatal shooting of a man who was buying diapers for h…
Trump denies asking Comey to drop probe, decries ‘witch hunt’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump, striking a defiant tone on Thursday after days of political tumult, denied asking former FBI Director James Comey to drop a probe into his former national security adviser and decried a “witch hunt” a…
U.S. strikes Syria militia threatening U.S.-backed forces: officials
WASHINGTON/AMMAN (Reuters) – The U.S. military carried out an air strike on Thursday against militia supported by the Syrian government that posed a threat to U.S. and U.S.-backed Syrian fighters in the country’s south, U.S. officials told Reuters on T…
Albania’s parties end three-month standoff with agreement on reforms
TIRANA (Reuters) – A three-month standoff that had blocked progress on reforms to Albania’s government ended on Thursday, as the ruling parties and the opposition reached agreement on how to resolve their conflict.
Greek police fire teargas at protesters outside parliament
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greek police fired teargas at anti-austerity protesters rallying outside parliament in Athens on Thursday as lawmakers debated further spending cuts demanded by the country’s international lenders in exchange for bailout funds.
U.N. counterterror chief: Europe faces return of ‘dangerous’ IS fighters
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Europe will face an exodus of Islamic State fighters defeated in Syria and Iraq this year, more dangerous and battle hardened than previous returnees, the head of the U.N. Security Council’s counterterrorism agency said on Thursday…
