Turkey, U.S. ease strains on Islamic State but differences remain
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey and the United States smoothed over some differences in the fight against Islamic State during a weekend visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, but the talks heralded little in the way of deeper military cooperation between…
Portugal ex-PM charged with corruption, to remain in custody
LISBON (Reuters) – A Portuguese judge on Monday charged former Prime Minister Jose Socrates with corruption and tax fraud and ordered that he remain in preventive custody.
Iran nuclear talks extended seven months after failing to meet deadline
VIENNA (Reuters) – Iran and six powers failed on Monday for a second time this year to resolve their 12-year stand-off over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, and gave themselves seven more months to clinch an historic deal.
Canada ups spending plans as PM says on track to balance budget
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, gearing up for an election next October and taking advantage of improving federal finances, announced C$5.8 billion ($5.1 billion) in new spending on Monday.
Mired in crisis, Mexican president aided by discredited opposition
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Deep anger over the apparent massacre of 43 trainee teachers has plunged Mexico’s Enrique Pena Nieto into his worst crisis as president, but with no credible opposition in sight, mass protests look unlikely to force him from pow…
EU lawmakers trade insults, Juncker set to survive censure motion
STRASBOURG (Reuters) – A no-confidence motion in the EU’s new chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker had no chance of success after the Eurosceptic lawmakers who brought it traded insults with the bigger parties in the European Parliament on Monday.
Role of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to shift to training: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The role of U.S. troops in Afghanistan will shift in 2015 to training Afghan security forces and counter-terrorism activities, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Monday.
Baghdad car bomb kills 8 people, fighting west of capital
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – A car bomb exploded in a market in northern Baghdad’s Shaab neighborhood on Monday, killing eight people and wounding 22, police and medics said.
Saudi Arabia says Islamic State ordered attack on Shi’ites in al-Ahsa
DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia has arrested the four main suspects in an attack on Shi’ite Muslims this month and believes it was ordered by Islamic State militants from abroad, the state news agency cited an Interior Ministry security spokesman as say…
Suspected Boko Haram militants attack Nigerian border town
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) – Suspected Boko Haram militants attacked a Nigerian border town in the restive northeast on Monday, setting fire to houses and killing an unknown number of people, witnesses and government sources said.
