Sweden to officially recognize Palestinian state on Thursday
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden’s center-left government will officially recognize the state of Palestine on Thursday, becoming the first major European country to do so, Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said.
U.S. drone strike kills five militants in Pakistan
WANA Pakistan (Reuters) – A suspected U.S. drone strike killed at least five militants in a Pakistani tribal region bordering Afghanistan on Thursday, with local villagers saying the dead included of a senior Arab commander.
Romania’s taxing problem will still trouble incoming government
BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Every morning, hundreds of traders pour into a cheap wholesale market in a northern suburb of Bucharest. But if the tax inspector calls, the bustle stops, shutters are quickly pulled down and the place falls silent.
China probes Uighur mayor of restive Xinjiang city for graft
BEIJING (Reuters) – The ethnic Uighur mayor of a major city in China’s unruly far-western region of Xinjiang is being investigated for corruption, state media said on Thursday, one of the few minority officials to be caught up in the government’s war o…
Romania’s Ponta heads for presidency with justice in spotlight
OPTASI-MAGURA Romania (Reuters) – Romanians are likely to move Prime Minister Victor Ponta into the presidency in elections that start on Sunday, offering one of Europe’s poorest countries political stability but raising concerns about judicial indepen…
United States praises China’s growing role in Afghanistan
BEIJING (Reuters) – The United States welcomed China’s growing role in trying to ensure Afghanistan’s stability on Thursday, saying a Beijing conference of foreign ministers on Afghan reconstruction this week shows its commitment to the region as Weste…
U.S. says working with Iraqi Kurdistan to stop Islamic State oil smuggling
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The United States is working closely with the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government to clamp down on oil smuggling in a bid to cut off a key source of funding for Islamic State, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.
Australia passes laws cracking down on foreign fighters
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia passed laws on Thursday aimed at preventing young people from becoming radicalized and going to fight in overseas conflicts such as those in Iraq and Syria, where scores of Australians have joined militant groups.
China says disgraced security chief not relevant to top party meeting
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Communist Party made no mention of the fate of China’s powerful domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang at a recent key meeting because he is no longer part of the central leadership, a senior party official said on Thursday.
Tunisia’s main secular party wins most seats: authorities
TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s main secular party Nidaa Tounes won 85 seats in the new 217-member parliament in Sunday’s election, while the Islamist party Ennahda secured 69 seats, according to results released by electoral authorities on Thursday.
