Germany and Italy align on EU policy, Britain set for showdown
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Britain’s slender hopes of securing Italy’s support in its bid to stop Jean-Claude Juncker becoming European Commission president crumbled on Wednesday when Germany offered Rome a gentler interpretation of EU budget rules.
Sudan summons U.S., South Sudan envoys in row over Christian convert
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudan has summoned the U.S. and South Sudanese ambassadors over the new detention of a Christian convert who was trying to fly to the United States with her family after being released from death row, state’s top security service s…
Gunmen planned to blow up plane in Pakistan by hitting fuel tank
PESHAWAR Pakistan (Reuters) – Holed up deep inside a Taliban-friendly neighborhood, gunmen waited patiently for the passenger plane to approach the airport before raising their guns into the night sky and unleashing a hail of bullets to shoot it down.
Tunisia to hold parliamentary, presidential elections in October and November
TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s parliament on Wednesday agreed to hold parliamentary elections on Oct. 26 and a presidential poll a month later, another step towards full democracy in the country that toppled its autocrat ruler in 2011.
Mali urges aggressive overhaul of U.N. peacekeeping mission
MALABO (Reuters) – Mali called on the United Nations to speed up deploying the remainder of its promised 12,000-member peacekeeping force and station more troops in the West African nation’s turbulent north.
NATO will not offer Georgia membership step, avoiding Russia clash
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – NATO will stop short of approving a formal step to membership for Georgia at its summit in September, officials said on Wednesday, dodging a possible confrontation with Moscow over the alliance’s expansion to Russia’s neighbours.
String of small morning explosions in Cairo hurt eight
CAIRO (Reuters) – Eight people were hurt in northern Cairo when homemade explosive devices blew up at four metro stations and a courthouse on Wednesday morning in the first attacks in Cairo since Abdel Fattah al-Sisi became president earlier this month…
UK’s Cameron apologizes to parliament over ex-media chief found guilty of phone-hacking
LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday apologized to parliament for hiring Andy Coulson, his ex-media chief, after Coulson was found guilty of being part of a phone-hacking conspiracy.
Taliban battle Afghan forces for control of southern district
LASHKAR GAH Afghanistan (Reuters) – Taliban militants have been locked in fighting with Afghan forces this week to wrest control of a southern district, provincial authorities said on Wednesday, in a struggle that has killed or wounded dozens of people…
Russian lawmakers revoke right to send troops into Ukraine
MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Russian parliament’s upper chamber voted on Wednesday to revoke the right that it had granted President Vladimir Putin in March to order a military intervention in Ukraine, where Kiev is struggling to quell a rebellion by Russian…
