Germany’s Social Democrats overtake Merkel’s conservatives in poll
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s Social Democrats have overtaken Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives in an opinion poll by Infratest dimap for the first time since October 2006, with seven months to go before a federal election.
Israel shoots down Hamas drone from Gaza Strip: military
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – An Israeli fighter jet on Thursday shot down a drone belonging to the Islamist group Hamas that had taken off from the Gaza Strip, the military said.
Malaysia requests Interpol alert on four North Koreans over airport murder
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia has requested Interpol to put an alert out to apprehend four North Korean suspects in the murder of the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Malaysia’s police chief said on Thursday.
Pope suggests ‘better to be atheist than hypocritical Catholic’
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis delivered another criticism of some members of his own Church on Thursday, suggesting it is better to be an atheist than one of “many” Catholics who he said lead a hypocritical double life.
Kidnapped Ukrainian MP found unharmed, attackers detained: prosecutor
KIEV (Reuters) – A Ukrainian lawmaker kidnapped in the southern city of Odessa earlier on Thursday has been found unharmed and his attackers have been detained, the local prosecutor’s office said.
Bomb kills at least 10 in shopping district in Pakistan’s Lahore
LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) – A bomb blast in an upscale shopping center in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore killed at least 10 people on Thursday, a provincial government spokesman said, the latest attack in a surge of violence that has shaken the cou…
French police clash with youths at protest rally, arrest eight
PARIS (Reuters) – Hundreds of French high-school students staged an unauthorized anti-police rally on Thursday, blocking the entrances to a dozen schools in Paris in the latest in a series of protests over the alleged rape of a young black man with a p…
Dutch anti-Islam leader Geert Wilders cancels events due to security leak
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders, who is leading polls ahead of March 15 elections, said on Thursday in a post on Twitter that he has canceled all public appearances after a security leak.
North Korea raps old ally China after China’s ban on coal
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea issued a rare reproach of China on Thursday saying its main diplomatic backer was “dancing to the tune” of the United States for halting North Korean coal imports because of its nuclear and missile programs.
German suspected of planning violent act against state detained-prosecutors
BERLIN (Reuters) – German prosecutors said on Thursday that a 26-year-old German man suspected of preparing an act of violent subversion against the state had been detained.
