Catalans: independence drive will intensify unless Madrid negotiates
LONDON (Reuters) – After scuppering a referendum, Spain risks intensifying Catalonia’s push for independence unless it negotiates over transferring more powers, the region’s economy minister said.
Indonesian cabinet delayed after anti-graft body blocks candidates
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo failed to finalize his cabinet on Wednesday after the country’s anti-corruption agency rejected eight candidates, underlining the challenge he faces in fulfilling election promises of a government fr…
Iran president denounces bill to empower Islamic vigilantes
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani came out on Wednesday against a parliamentary bill to empower vigilantes who enforce Islamic morals, strongly re-asserting a moderate agenda that had taken a back seat since his election last year.
Farce, defense cuts highlight hard task in Sweden submarine hunt
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – With a depleted military lacking anti-submarine helicopters and intelligence so far based on civilian sightings, Sweden’s hunt for a supposed U-boat intruder has an element of farce pointing to the difficulty of wrapping up the mi…
Kerry expects ‘deep’ engagement with Congress on Iran talks
BERLIN (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on a visit to Berlin on Wednesday that the Obama administration planned to fully consult Congress about ongoing negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.
Exclusive: Uruguay presidential candidate would repeal marijuana law
MONTEVIDEO (Reuters) – Uruguay’s leading opposition candidate said on Wednesday he would try to repeal much of the country’s ground-breaking marijuana law, which permits the commercial production and sale of the drug, if he wins Sunday’s presidential e…
Iranian human rights lawyer stages protest over ban from practice
DUBAI (Reuters) – Human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh said on Wednesday she would protest outside the Iranian Bar Association offices in Tehran until it reversed a decision to ban her from practicing law for three years.
Congo, U.N. troops fire live rounds amid protest against killings
BENI Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) – Congolese troops and United Nations peacekeepers fired live rounds to disperse hundreds of people protesting outside a U.N. base in the eastern Congolese town of Beni on Wednesday, a Reuters witness said.
Amid regional turmoil, Israel looks to its firm bond with Jordan
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – If there were a heat map showing instability in the Middle East, the area around most of Israel’s borders would have turned a steadily deeper shade of red over the past few years.
EU okays new executive as Juncker vows to seize ‘Europe’s last chance’
STRASBOURG France (Reuters) – The European Union will have a new executive in place next month led by Jean-Claude Juncker following its approval in a vote by the European Parliament on Wednesday.
