Majority of Swiss oppose strict immigration limits ahead of vote: poll
ZURICH (Reuters) – Most Swiss voters oppose proposals to place strict limits on immigration but support is rising before this month’s national vote on the issue, a closely-watched survey showed on Wednesday.
Burkina Faso names army colonel Zida as prime minister
OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) – Burkina Faso’s transitional government named Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Zida as prime minister on Wednesday, four days after he restored the country’s constitution under pressure from the African Union and the West.
France says jets strike IS targets to break Kirkuk frontline
PARIS (Reuters) – France said on Wednesday that Rafale jets had struck Islamic State targets alongside coalition planes near the northern Iraq city of Kirkuk to help breach the group’s frontlines, and was sending six fighter jets to Jordan to ramp up i…
Sri Lanka president pardons five Indian fishermen on death row
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s president on Wednesday pardoned five Indian fishermen who had been sentenced to death for drug trafficking, a move likely to reduce tensions with India.
Israel approves 78 new settler homes in East Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel on Wednesday approved the construction of 78 new homes in two settlements on West Bank land annexed to Jerusalem, likely to aggravate Palestinian anger at a time when violence has flared, including a deadly attack on a syna…
Putin backs deeper ties with North Korea after meeting Kim envoy
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Wednesday for deeper ties with North Korea to improve regional security, a day after holding talks with a personal envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Kenyan police arrest 109 at mosques, seize explosives
MOMBASA Kenya (Reuters) – Kenyan police found explosives at three mosques in Mombasa on Wednesday and arrested 109 people on suspicion they were undergoing militant training, in the latest in a series of raids in the port city.
Indonesia holds 200 Malaysians in crackdown on illegal fishing
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia on Wednesday detained 200 Malaysians found fishing illegally in its waters, as it moves to stem billions of dollars in economic losses, a senior government official told Reuters.
Croatia to hold presidential election on Dec. 28
ZAGREB (Reuters) – Croatia, the European Union’s newest member, will hold a presidential election on Dec. 28, a government spokesman told Reuters on Wednesday.
South Africa’s latest power struggle: unpaid bills
SOWETO South Africa (Reuters) – Zodwa Madiba has not paid an electricity bill in 14 years and is resolute she never will, holding the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to vague promises made in the dying days of apartheid to provide free electrici…
