EU offers Turkey deeper trade ties despite political tensions
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission proposed on Wednesday an expansion of its customs union with Turkey to include services and most agricultural goods despite increased political tensions with Ankara since an attempted military coup in July.
France checks on security at Christmas markets after Berlin attack
PARIS (Reuters) – France is carrying out “preventive arrests” and checking on deployment of concrete barriers at Christmas markets amid fears of a strike by Islamist militants following Monday’s Berlin attack.
Minibus drives into Beijing market, four dead
BEIJING (Reuters) – Four people were killed when a minibus drove into a market in a northern part of Beijing and many others have sustained injuries, the city’s police said on Wednesday, but they did not suggest it was a militant-related incident.
Syrian girl, 7, who tweeted from Aleppo meets Turkey’s Erdogan
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A seven-year-old Syrian girl who drew global attention with her Twitter updates from besieged Aleppo met Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at his palace in Ankara on Wednesday.
At least 19 Congolese dead, 45 wounded by gunshot in anti-Kabila protests: U.N.
KINSHASA (Reuters) – The U.N. mission in Democratic Republic of Congo has confirmed 19 deaths and 45 injuries from gunshots during protests on Tuesday against President Joseph Kabila for overstaying his mandate, the human rights director said on Wednes…
EU to boost border checks on cash, gold to tackle ‘terrorism financing’
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission proposed tightening controls on cash and precious metals transfers from outside the EU on Wednesday, in a bid to shut down one route for funding of militant attacks on the continent.
Japan to bolster coastguard amid island dispute with China
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan will step up efforts to bolster its coastguard as a territorial dispute with China over a group of East China Sea islets shows no signs of abating, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday.
Hezbollah using U.S. weaponry in Syria: senior Israeli military officer
TEL AVIV (Reuters) – Israel has informed the United States that Lebanese Hezbollah fighters in Syria are using U.S. armored personnel carriers originally supplied to the Lebanese Army, a senior Israeli military officer said on Wednesday.
U.S. returns some land on Japan’s Okinawa, largest transfer since ’72
TOKYO (Reuters) – The United States and Japan held a ceremony on Wednesday marking the U.S. military’s return of nearly 10,000 acres (4,046 hectares) of land on Okinawa island to the Japanese government, the largest transfer since 1972.
Iraqi forces in Mosul mostly in refit mode: U.S. general
ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraqi forces battling to retake Islamic State’s last major stronghold – Mosul – have entered a planned operational refit, a top U.S. general in the international coalition backing Baghdad said, the first significant pause of the…
