France’s Macron raises curtain on election alliance to beat Le Pen
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s presidential race took a new turn on Thursday as independent Emmanuel Macron raised the curtain on a partnership with veteran centrist Francois Bayrou to help him beat the far-right’s Marine Le Pen.
Austrian Health Minister Oberhauser dies
VIENNA (Reuters) – Austria’s minister for health and women, Sabine Oberhauser, has died, a statement by the chancellor said on Thursday of the 53-year-old who had suffered from abdominal cancer.
Investigators clear Saudi-led forces of 2015 attacks, blames technical fault for seven deaths
DUBAI (Reuters) – A body set up by the Saudi-led coalition to investigate civilian casualties in Yemen said on Thursday a technical fault was responsible for the death of seven people in a 2015 air strike but cleared the alliance of other attacks.
Iraqi forces storm Mosul airport, military base
SOUTH OF MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) – U.S.-backed Iraqi security forces captured Mosul airport from Islamic State on Thursday, advancing on multiple fronts towards the jihadists’ last major stronghold in the western half of the city.
FlyBe airplane landing gear collapses at Amsterdam airport
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The landing gear of a FlyBe airplane collapsed during landing at Amsterdam’s Schiphol on Thursday, causing it to veer off the runway. There were no injuries, the airport said in a statement.
Deadly blast hits chemical plant in Uzbekistan
TASHKENT (Reuters) – An explosion occurred at a chemical plant in the city of Ferghana in Uzbekistan, killing an undisclosed number of people, the Central Asian country’s emergency ministry said on Thursday.
Scottish government believes it can call, win new independence vote: sources
LONDON/EDINBURGH (Reuters) – The Scottish government is increasingly confident it can win a new independence referendum and is considering calling one next year as Britain exits the European Union, sources close to the Edinburgh administration say.
Victims of sex crime race strict Indian abortion deadline
MUMBAI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Shiny Varghese Padiyara knew she faced a race against time when a woman rescued from a brothel was brought to her shelter in the Indian city of Pune and then said she wanted to end her 19-week pregnancy.
Italy minister to challenge Renzi for leadership of ruling party
ROME (Reuters) – Justice Minister Andrea Orlando said on Thursday he would challenge former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi for the leadership of Italy’s ruling Democratic Party (PD), which is in the throes of a damaging split.
Conservative German lawmakers warn against politicizing NATO funding
BERLIN (Reuters) – Two senior members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives on Thursday warned election rivals the Social Democrats (SPD) against politicizing Germany’s efforts to increase military spending, saying security threats made such step…
