Palestinian President Abbas says U.S. Embassy move would hurt peace
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas discussed the Middle East with Pope Francis on Saturday and said prospects for peace there will suffer if U.S. president-elect Donald Trump moves Washington’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Austria’s far-right Freedom Party calls for ban on ‘fascistic Islam’
SALZBURG (Reuters) – The head of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPO) on Saturday called for a law banning “fascistic Islam” and Muslim symbols, comparable to an existing law banning Nazi symbols, saying Islam could wipe out European society.
‘One China’ principle is non-negotiable: Beijing
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s foreign ministry said on Saturday that its “One China” principle was the non-negotiable political basis for China-U.S. relations, and urged “relevant parties” in the United States to recognize the sensitivity of the Taiwan …
Turkey and Russia to invite U.S. to Syria talks: Turkish minister
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey and Russia have decided to invite the United States to Syria peace talks due to be held this month in the Kazakh capital Astana, Turkey’s foreign minister said on Saturday.
Iraqi minister trying to improve relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia: report
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iraq’s foreign minister said he had carried messages between Iran and Saudi Arabia in a continuing attempt to curb a feud involving its two neighbors, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported on Saturday.
Saudi Arabia’s religious authority says cinemas, song concerts harmful
DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s top religious authority has called cinemas and singing concerts harmful and corrupting, in a move that could complicate government efforts to introduce cultural reforms to the conservative kingdom.
France’s Fillon tries to win over critics at party meeting
PARIS (Reuters) – French conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon tried to win over party critics at a meeting on Saturday at a time when polls show him losing some momentum due to what some say is too radical an economic reform program.
Syrian opposition group HNC says supports efforts for Astana peace talks
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian opposition’s High Negotiations Committee said on Saturday it supported efforts towards planned peace talks in Kazakhstan, and viewed the meeting as a preliminary step for resuming the next round of political negotiations i…
Gunmen kidnap five students, two staff from Nigerian school: police
ONITSHA, Nigeria (Reuters) – Gunmen kidnapped five students and two staff, including a Turkish national, from an international school in Nigeria’s southern state of Ogun, police said on Saturday.
Five migrants die in Mediterranean, 750 rescued
ROME (Reuters) – Rescuers saved around 750 migrants from rubber and wooden boats in the central Mediterranean but recovered five dead bodies during the operations, the Italian coastguard said on Saturday.
