Germany eyes EU defense union without Britain
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany and France want to forge closer defense cooperation in the European Union following the departure of Britain, which has “paralyzed” such initiatives in the past, German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday….
Spain’s Socialists say ‘no’ to conservative government, extending deadlock
MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish Socialist leader reaffirmed on Wednesday his party’s intention to vote against a government led by the conservative People’s Party (PP), potentially extending a seven-month political deadlock.
South Sudan’s vice president leaves Juba, not seeking war: spokesman
JUBA (Reuters) – South Sudan’s vice president has withdrawn with his troops to outside of Juba but is not planning for war, his spokesman said on Wednesday, as a ceasefire that ended heavy fighting with the president’s forces entered its third day.
Air strikes kill 24 in rebel-held Syrian towns: monitoring group
BEIRUT (Reuters) – At least 12 people were killed in air strikes on the rebel-held western Syrian town of Rastan on Wednesday, a local doctor and a monitoring group said, despite a government-declared nationwide temporary truce.
Slovenian finance minister resigns, opposition calls for early elections
LJUBLJANA (Reuters) – Slovenia’s finance minister Dusan Mramor resigned on Wednesday for what he said were personal reasons, prompting the opposition to call for an early election though junior members in the fragile ruling coalition insisted it was st…
Zimbabwe pastor Mawarire charged with trying to overthrow government
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s state prosecutor on Wednesday charged pastor Evan Mawarire with attempting to overthrow the state via his Internet video campaign that inspired rare protests this month against President Robert Mugabe.
Islamic State car bomb attack kills seven north of Baghdad
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed at least seven people north of Baghdad on Wednesday, security and medical sources said, in the second bombing claimed by Islamic State in the district in as many days.
Japan emperor intends to abdicate ‘in a few years’: NHK
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Emperor Akihito, who has spent much of his time on the throne trying to heal the wounds of World War Two, intends to abdicate in a few years, public broadcaster NHK said on Wednesday, a step that would be unprecedented in mod…
France has identified leader of Nov. 13 attacks, documents show
PARIS (Reuters) – French authorities say they have identified the commander of the Nov. 13 Islamist militant attacks on Paris and know that Abdelhamid Abaaoud, cornered and killed days later by police, played a lesser role.
Russian editors ‘fired over stories that irked officials’
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A former editor of a Russian media group described how he and colleagues were pushed out over reporting that angered officials, in the first public account of the taming of Russia’s last big news organization willing to take on the K…
