Damascus says it has faced worse times, key areas secure
DAMASCUS (Reuters) – The Syrian government says it has weathered worse spells in the four-year-old conflict than the current advances by insurgents across the country and is confident its army can hit back with the help of its allies.
Exclusive: Two top China graft suspects sick, may not be tried – sources
BEIJING (Reuters) – Two former senior Chinese officials subject to graft probes are sick and may not be able to stand trial, sources with ties to the leadership said, possibly sparing the Communist Party the embarrassment of having more of its secrets …
Orange CEO tells Netanyahu firm will deepen Israel ties
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The chief executive of French telecoms group Orange told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday he profoundly regretted remarks he made last week which he said were misinterpreted to make it sound as if he supported a boycott…
Poland says next NATO summit should invite Macedonia, Montenegro to join
WARSAW (Reuters) – The former Yugoslav republics of Macedonia and Montenegro should be invited to join NATO when it holds its next summit in Warsaw in 2016, Polish Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said on Friday.
China’s lone aircraft carrier conducts drills as sea disputes fester
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s sole aircraft carrier conducted exercises on Friday, the navy said without specifying its location, amid escalating disputes over maritime territory with some of China’s Asian neighbors.
Romania’s government survives no-confidence vote: MPs
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Prime Minister Victor Ponta’s leftist government survived a no-confidence motion in Romania’s parliament as expected on Friday, two ruling party deputies said, its first big political test since losing a November presidential elec…
Spanish leftist mayor ends 24 years of PP rule in Madrid
MADRID(Reuters) – A left-wing former judge, backed by anti-austerity party Podemos, was named mayor of Spain’s capital on Friday, ending 24 years of center-right Popular Party (PP) rule in Madrid and delivering a setback to Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy…
Merkel stresses Germany wants good relations with Russia
BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that Berlin was keen to have good relations with Moscow and was striving for a political solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
Pentagon again asks China to end island building, seeks more military contact
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter met a top Chinese general on Thursday and repeated a U.S. call for a halt to land reclamation in the South China Sea, while stressing that the Pentagon remained committed to expanding military co…
Brief raid by India in far-off Myanmar has Pakistan fuming
NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – The Indian army’s brief foray this week into Myanmar to hunt militants set alarm bells ringing in far-away Pakistan, Delhi’s arch-rival whom it blames for stoking a rebellion in the disputed region of Kashmir.
