French, U.S. planes strike Islamic State, Britain to join coalition
NEW YORK/BEIRUT (Reuters) – French fighter jets struck Islamic State targets in Iraq on Thursday, and the United States hit them in Syria, as a U.S.-led coalition to fight the militants gained momentum with an announcement that Britain would join.
It’s deja vu: EU and Canada will hail end to trade talks, again
BRUSSELS/OTTAWA (Reuters) – Germany’s rejection of part of a multibillion-dollar trade deal between the European Union and Canada threatens to derail the agreement, in a potentially embarrassing re-run of a breakdown a year ago.
Exclusive: Ukraine prime minister says Russians ‘want us to freeze’
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The prime minister of the Kiev government accused Russia on Thursday of attempting to freeze Ukraine in the coming winter by using natural gas as a weapon to subjugate the former Soviet Republic.
Militant in Syria beheading videos identified: FBI
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A masked Islamic State militant seen wielding a knife in videos at the beheading of two Americans has been identified, FBI Director James Comey said on Thursday, but he declined to give the person’s name or nationality.
Lebanese army tightens grip on border town, kills one person
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Lebanese army said on Thursday one person was killed and two wounded during a search for suspected militants at refugee camps near the border with Syria.
Portugal prosecutor general shelves accusation against PM
LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal’s prosecutor general said on Thursday it had shelved an accusation of financial impropriety against Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho from the 1990s because the statute of limitations had passed.
U.S. military concerned by Russian Cold War-style bomber flights
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military is concerned by flights by long-range Russian bombers near U.S. airspace, a top U.S. commander said on Thursday, saying the Cold War-style activity was raising questions for Pentagon planners.
Ukraine leader sees country applying for EU membership ‘in 6 years time’
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko said he would present a broad plan of social and economic reforms on Thursday which would allow the former Soviet republic to apply for membership of the European Union in six years.
Iran blames ‘errors’ of outsiders for rise of Islamic State
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Iran President Hassan Rouhani blamed the rise of the Islamic State group and other militants on “certain intelligence agencies”, saying the solution to stopping them must come from the Middle East region itself and not the We…
Sarkozy says would compete for 2017 French presidential nomination
PARIS (Reuters) – Nicolas Sarkozy would compete to win a center-right party nomination as candidate for France’s 2017 presidential election, he said on Thursday, ending speculation that he might call off a party primary.
