Germany, Austria arrest two men suspected of planning Islamist attacks
BERLIN/VIENNA (Reuters) – A 21-year-old man arrested in Germany on suspicion of planning an Islamist attack has admitted links to a man being held by the Austrian police for the same reason, German investigators said on Monday.
Nigerian musician Femi Kuti urges stars, fans to focus on Boko Haram victims
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Nigerian musician Femi Kuti on Monday urged his fellow celebrities and their fans to take to social media and pressure the government to do more to help millions of people struggling to survive in Boko …
Romanian president considers referendum over government’s justice plan
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Monday he could hold a referendum on the government’s plans to decriminalize certain offences and to pardon convicts through decrees, moves critics say could harm efforts to stamp out high…
Some Mosul residents face new fears after Islamic State rule
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) – Mohamed Mahmoud is relieved he no longer has to watch Islamic State militants hang corpses from electricity poles, now that Iraqi forces have cleared the group from his east Mosul district. But he still fears for his safety.
Putin allies propose easing penalty for domestic violence
MOSCOW (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin’s allies have passed a preliminary draft bill in Russia’s parliament that would ease some penalties for domestic violence, which supporters say would keep the state from meddling in the home but critics say w…
Glad to see Obama go, Gulf Arabs expect Trump to counter Iran
DUBAI (Reuters) – Gulf Arab states are quietly applauding the arrival in the White House of a hawkish leader opposed to their adversary Iran, even if they suspect Donald Trump’s short temper and abrasive Tweets may at times heighten tensions in the com…
France’s Fillon tells Merkel Russia sanctions are pointless
BERLIN (Reuters) – European Union sanctions on Russia are pointless, the frontrunner in France’s presidential election Francois Fillon said on Monday in Berlin, warning Russia and the United States under Donald Trump could forge links that exclude the …
Dutch government mulls ban on international child adoption amid trafficking fears
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The Dutch government is expected to vote on whether to ban international child adoption amid concerns over the danger of trafficking and laundering children, raising the possibility that other countries could follo…
Venezuela’s opposition revives anti-Maduro protests
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s opposition parties on Monday launched a new round of protests aimed at forcing President Nicolas Maduro from power and ending 18 years of socialist rule, but they fell well short of the massive demonstrations of the past…
France closes court case over murder of Kurdish militants
PARIS (Reuters) – France has dropped all court proceedings over the 2013 murders of three Kurdish activists after the death of the main suspect, judicial sources said on Monday, despite street protests demanding that inquiries continue.
