Spanish PM hits back at Greek accusation of anti-Athens ‘axis’
ATHENS/MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s centre-right Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy hit back on Sunday against accusations from Greece’s leftist premier that Spain and Portugal had led a conservative conspiracy to topple his anti-austerity government.
Israeli military holds surprise West Bank drill
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The Israeli military said it had mobilized some 13,000 soldiers for an unannounced drill on Sunday in the occupied West Bank, in the first such exercise in three years.
Islamic State releases 19 Christians, more than 200 still captive: monitor
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Islamic State released 19 Assyrian Christian captives in Syria on Sunday after processing them through a sharia court, a monitoring group which tracks the conflict said.
Police in Germany’s Bremen reduce presence after Islamist threat warning
BERLIN (Reuters) – Police in the north German city of Bremen, who warned on Saturday of a heightened danger from Islamist extremists, said they had slightly reduced their presence after searches revealed no hidden weapons.
Three arrested at Hong Kong anti-China protest, scuffles with police
HONG KONG (Reuters) – At least three people were arrested as a group of about 400 people in Hong Kong clashed with police in the latest sign of ongoing tensions caused by China’s influence in the city.
U.S.-backed Syria rebel group dissolves itself after losses
BEIRUT (Reuters) – One of the main western-backed rebel groups announced on Sunday that it had dissolved itself and joined a larger Islamist alliance, weeks into a battle which saw it lose ground and men to more powerful al Qaeda insurgents.
U.S.-led coalition launches air strikes on Islamic State targets in Iraq, Syria
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S.-led coalition launched seven air strikes in Iraq and two in Syria since early Saturday against Islamic State militants, the Combined Joint Task Force said on Sunday.
U.S. deserves ‘benefit of the doubt’ on getting Iran nuclear deal, Kerry says
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pressed the case on Sunday for completing nuclear diplomacy with Iran despite Israeli opposition, saying the United States deserves the benefit of the doubt on getting a deal that would prevent …
Yemen’s Hadi says Saleh conspired with Iran to undermine power transfer deal
ADEN (Reuters) – President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi accused his predecessor on Sunday of conspiring with Iran to scuttle a 2011 deal backed by Gulf states to transfer power to him in cooperation with the Shi’ite Muslim Houthi group.
Iran’s Zarif says Netanyahu trying to undermine nuclear talks
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran’s foreign minister has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to undermine Iran’s negotiations towards a nuclear deal with world powers in order to distract from the Palestinian question.
