Germany ushers in renewable energy reform
BERLIN (Reuters) – Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet approved on Tuesday a reform of Germany’s renewable energy law designed to curb a rise in the cost of electricity in Europe’s biggest economy driven by the rapid expansion of green power.
UK says investigating spy and police agencies’ use of private data
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies may be overusing authorisations to access private communications data, the official who regulates the activity said on Tuesday, declaring he had begun an investigation into the matt…
German cabinet gives go-ahead to dual citizenship
BERLIN (Reuters) – The German government on Tuesday signed off on a draft law that will allow young Germans of foreign origin to have dual citizenship, a move that relaxes some of Europe’s strictest nationality laws and will benefit the large Turkish c…
Gunmen kill five soldiers at Yemen checkpoint
ADEN/SANAA (Reuters) – Suspected militants killed five soldiers guarding a checkpoint in southeastern Yemen on Tuesday, local officials said, and a leader of a Shi’ite Muslim party was wounded in a drive-by shooting in the capital Sanaa in which two gu…
Turkey’s Erdogan vows to ‘liquidate’ treachery at home and abroad
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday local elections had given him a mandate to “liquidate” the enemies he sees as contriving a corruption scandal and would go after their international activities and sources of fund…
Tunisia lawmakers start debate on key step in democratic transition
TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisian Islamist and secular parties have begun a parliamentary debate on an election law, the final step before setting a ballot date to complete a transition to democracy in the country that lit the fuse of Arab popular uprisings.
Libyan parliament asks Prime Minister Thinni to form new cabinet within one week
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libya’s parliament has asked Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni to form a new cabinet within one week, parliamentary spokesman Omar Hmeidan said on Tuesday.
UK ‘honeymoon murder’ suspect appears in South African court
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – British businessman Shrien Dewani, who is accused of arranging for his bride to be murdered during their 2010 honeymoon in Cape Town, appeared briefly in a South African court on Tuesday after losing a three-year battle against ex…
Former NATO chief warns Scottish independence would be ‘cataclysmic’
LONDON (Reuters) – A former secretary general of NATO has warned that Scottish independence would be “cataclysmic” because breaking up Britain would rob the West of a major anchor of stability and solidarity at a difficult time.
Spain’s parliament set to reject Catalan referendum
MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s parliament looks certain to reject a petition from Catalonia to hold a referendum on independence, despite heavy support for the separatist movement in the wealthy northeastern region.
