Brazil’s Rousseff signs budget law, vetoes congressional amendments
SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has overruled more than 50 amendments made by lawmakers in the nation’s budget guidelines law for this year, including reductions to her flagship social program and a ban on state …
Turkish presidency says Erdogan’s Hitler comments misconstrued
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – The Turkish presidency said on Friday comments by President Tayyip Erdogan about the system of governance in Hitler’s Germany had been misinterpreted and that he had not suggested it was an example of an effective presidential syst…
Ten killed in gang-related violence in El Salvador: police
SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) – Five people, including a child, were executed at a New Year’s gathering in El Salvador early on Friday, while five gang members died in a highway shootout with police, an official said.
Syrian, Iraqi militants said to have planned New Year attack in Munich
MUNICH (Reuters) – Germany received a tip hours before midnight that militants from Iraq and Syria were planning New Year attacks in Munich but police could not find the suspects and are not even sure if they exist or are in the country, the city’s pol…
Belgium releases three held over New Year attack plot
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Belgian investigators released three people on Friday after questioning them over an alleged plot to attack the capital on New Year’s Eve which forced the cancellation of the city’s annual fireworks display.
Snowstorm in Lebanon strands motorists, hits refugees
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A snowstorm hit Lebanon on Friday, local media reported, stranding motorists and adding to the woes of tens of thousands of Syrian refugees living in makeshift shelters.
Hand grenade attack kills two at Ethiopian university: police
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – A hand grenade attack killed two students and injured six in a university in southern Ethiopia, police said, the second such attack in the country in three weeks.
France to buy four Lockheed C130 military transport planes
(Reuters) – France said on Friday it would buy four C130 Hercules military transport planes from U.S. weapons maker Lockheed-Martin due to problems with European planemaker Airbus’s A400M.
Firefighters tackle Dubai blaze after all-night effort, investigate cause
DUBAI (Reuters) – Firefighters on Friday appeared to have mostly extinguished a blaze that suddenly engulfed one of Dubai’s most prominent skyscrapers on New Year’s Eve, witnesses said.
Saudi Arabia reopens embassy in Baghdad: Arabiya TV
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia has reopened its embassy in Baghdad, after a 25-year shutdown, which will allow the two countries to cooperate more closely against terrorism, al-Arabiya TV reported on Friday.The kingdom closed its embassy in Baghdad i…
