Greek anti-bailout party Syriza cements lead before vote
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s radical leftist Syriza party holds a steady 3.5 point lead over the ruling conservatives ahead of a snap election on Jan. 25, according to an opinion poll published on Wednesday.
Syrian opposition will lose out if boycotts Moscow talks, Russia says
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday Syrian opposition representatives would risk losing influence in peace efforts if they do not attend planned talks in Moscow.
Cameron to lobby Obama on last UK resident held in Guantanamo: lawyer
LONDON (Reuters) – Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to lobby U.S. President Barack Obama for the release of the last British resident held at Guantanamo Bay when he visits Washington this week, the detainee’s lawyer said on Wednesday.
After Paris march, Netanyahu leads the pack in Israeli election
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – In the cold reality of politics, the killing of four French Jews in a Paris supermarket seems to have helped Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deliver a strong message to Israeli voters that he has their back.
PEGIDA’s anti-Muslim calls shake up German politics
DRESDEN, Germany (Reuters) – Weekly marches by the German anti-Islam movement PEGIDA may not spread much beyond the city of Dresden where they began, but their message is having a profound impact on mainstream political parties.
Nigerian troops repel Islamist militant attack on town of Biu
MAIDUGURI (Reuters) – Nigerian security forces repelled an attack by Islamist rebels on the northeastern town of Biu on Wednesday, killing several of the insurgents, witnesses and the military said.
Sri Lanka releases 572 prisoners to mark pope visit
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka released nearly 600 prisoners and reduced jail terms for others on Wednesday to mark Pope Francis’ visit and his proclamation of the country’s first saint.
Bulgaria to extend fence at Turkish border to bar refugee influx
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria said on Wednesday it would extend a barbed wire fence along its border with Turkey by a further 130 km (80 miles) in an attempt to prevent a growing number of refugees, mainly from Syria, entering the European Union member st…
Minister says spy agencies don’t have enough powers to protect UK
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s failure to pass a law forcing communications firms to collect and store online data is endangering lives and weakening the country’s ability to protect itself, Theresa May, the interior minister, warned on Wednesday.
Italian President Napolitano departs, setting challenge for Renzi
ROME (Reuters) – Italian President Giorgio Napolitano handed in his resignation as head of state on Wednesday, leaving Prime Minister Matteo Renzi with the politically delicate task of finding a successor.
