South Korea parliament introduces bill to impeach Park; vote due Friday
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s parliament introduced a bill on Thursday to impeach President Park Geun-hye, setting the stage for a historic vote to oust the embattled leader engulfed in an influence-peddling scandal.
Merkel’s Bavarian allies praise tougher migrant stance but say it’s not enough
BERLIN (Reuters) – The Bavarian party allied to German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrat Union (CDU) on Thursday welcomed the CDU’s tougher stance on the integration of migrants but urged it to go further to restrict arrivals and up deporta…
Rebels seek ceasefire with Syrian army closer to retaking Aleppo
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian rebels in besieged eastern Aleppo called on Wednesday for an immediate five-day ceasefire and the evacuation of civilians and wounded, but gave no indication they were ready to withdraw as demanded by Damascus and Moscow.
British spy chief says Islamic State plotting attacks as Russia makes ‘desert’ of Syria
LONDON (Reuters) – Islamic State militants are using turmoil sown by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bombing in Syria to plot attacks against the United Kingdom and her allies, Britain’s foreign intelligence chief said on Thursday.
Chinese cardinal says Vatican must stand up to Beijing
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Cardinal Joseph Zen, the most senior Chinese Catholic cleric, says the participation of an excommunicated prelate at two bishop ordinations in China was a “slap in the face” for Pope Francis just as Rome seeks a historic deal with…
Pakistan mourns 47 killed in air crash, as investigators seek answers
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – Pakistan on Thursday mourned the 47 victims of its deadliest plane crash in four years, including a famed rock star-turned-Muslim evangelist, as officials sought to pinpoint the cause of the disaster.
Romania’s Social Democrats promise to keep down budget shortfall ahead of election
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania’s Social Democrats Party, which leads opinion polls before a Dec. 11 election, has pledged to raise social spending in 2017 and plans to offset this with ministerial budget cuts to help keep down the budget deficit.
Tigris lioness: Iraqi militiawoman fights for revenge against Islamic State
MAKHMUR, Iraq (Reuters) – Wearing a camouflage cap over her headscarf, Miaad al-Jubbouri cuts an unusual figure among the hundreds of men fighting to retake a village from Islamic State in northern Iraq.
Yazidi leader seeks protection for community after genocide
SHIKHAN, Iraq (Reuters) – The spiritual leader of Iraq’s Yazidis said his people need international help to recover from the worst atrocities they have suffered in more than a century and to reintegrate thousands of women who were enslaved by Islamic State.
White South African men accused of forcing black man into coffin denied bail
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – A South African court on Thursday denied bail to two white men charged with assault and kidnapping after a video showed them forcing a wailing black man into a coffin, an act the judge described as “brutal racism”.
