Hong Kong riot police clear protest site, arrest student leaders
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong police on Wednesday cleared one of the largest protest sites that have choked the city for months, arresting scores of pro-democracy activists in a blow to those hoping to wrest greater political freedom from authorities…
U.S. drone strike in Pakistan kills five suspected militants
PARICHINAR, Pakistan (Reuters) – A U.S. drone killed five suspected militants in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, a militant and a government official said, as the intensity of air strikes grew as part of an anti-Taliban offensive by the Pakistani mili…
Catalonia moves closer to early election as dialogue hopes fade
MADRID (Reuters) – Catalonia’s two main parties on Wednesday moved a step closer to calling a snap regional election they want to use as a proxy for a referendum on independence from Spain.
British brothers jailed for attending militant training camp in Syria
LONDON (Reuters) – Two brothers from London on Wednesday became the first Britons to be convicted for attending a militant training camp in Syria as Western governments increasingly warn of the threat posed by fighters returning from conflicts in the M…
Egypt plans blanket anti-terrorism law against ‘disrupting order’
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s cabinet approved on Wednesday a draft anti-terrorism law that would give the government blanket power to ban groups on charges ranging from harming national unity to disrupting public order.
IAEA says needs more money to monitor extended Iran nuclear deal
VIENNA (Reuters) – The U.N. atomic agency will need more funds from member states to help pay for its monitoring of an extended interim nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, it said on Wednesday.
Bulgaria charges radical imam, six others with supporting Islamic State
SOFIA (Reuters) – A Bulgarian imam and six others detained during a special operation by security forces earlier this week have been charged with supporting the ultra-radical militant group Islamic State, Bulgarian prosecutors said on Wednesday.
Qatar runs covert desert training camp for Syrian rebels
DOHA (Reuters) – At a desert base, Gulf state Qatar is covertly training moderate Syrian rebels with U.S. help to fight both President Bashar al-Assad and Islamic State and may include more overtly Islamist insurgent groups, sources close to the matter…
Turkey bans reporting on corruption investigation of ex-ministers
ANKARA (Reuters) – A Turkish court has banned media from reporting on a parliamentary investigation into corruption allegations against four ex-ministers, a move the opposition says amounts to protecting thieves.
Hungary’s ruling party down in polls over Web tax, quarrels with West
BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Public support for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling Fidesz party fell sharply in November, a survey showed on Wednesday, hit by a plan to tax Internet use that it later dropped and by disputes with Western powers.
