Wickremesinghe sworn in as Sri Lankan prime minister
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in on Friday as Sri Lanka’s prime minister after winning a general election, and agreed with President Maithripala Sirisena’s party to form a national unity government to push ahead with reforms.
World War Two bomb found at BASF plant in Germany
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – German chemicals firm BASF said on Friday that a World War Two bomb was found at its plant in Ludwigshafen and would be defused next month.
Concerns new Thai constitution will stifle democracy
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Politicians in Thailand expressed concern on Friday about a military-backed draft constitution they say is undemocratic and could be divisive by giving too much power to a military appointed “super board” to oversee governments.
Malaysia excludes anti-corruption body in new team to probe 1MDB: report
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s attorney-general has formed a new task force to investigate state fund 1MDB [TERRN.UL] but it excludes the country’s anti-corruption body, local newspaper Sin Chew Daily reported on Friday.
French National Front founder Le Pen to fight exclusion from party
PARIS (Reuters) – National Front founder Jean-Marie Le Pen is to keep up his legal fight to stay in the French far-right party despite being excluded for a second time, keeping alive a family feud that has dogged his daughter’s campaign to become presi…
Tsipras resigns, paving way for snap Greek election
ATHENS (Reuters) – Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras resigned on Thursday, hoping to strengthen his hold on power in snap elections after seven months in office in which he fought Greece’s creditors for a better bailout deal but had to cave in.
Australia considering U.S. request to join air strikes in Syria
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Friday that he was considering a formal request from the United States for Australia to join air strikes in Syria against the Islamic State militant group.
Tensions rise as North and South Korea exchange fire
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea fired a barrage of artillery rounds into North Korea on Thursday after the North shelled across the border to protest against anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts by Seoul, moves that raised tensions on the divided peninsu…
Brazil’s lower house speaker Cunha charged in corruption probe
BRASILIA (Reuters) – The speaker of Brazil’s lower house of Congress was charged by prosecutors with corruption and money laundering on Thursday, becoming the first sitting politician to be charged
Germany and Brazil join forces on climate change action
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Germany and Brazil committed themselves on Thursday to a joint stance on climate change, putting the largest economies in Europe and Latin America on the same page ahead of global climate talks in Paris in December.
