Turkish police purge reaches top ranks amid graft scandal
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s deputy police chief has been sacked, the most senior commander yet targeted in a purge of a force heavily influenced by a cleric accused by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan of plotting to seize the levers of state power.
Tunisia seeks next IMF tranche as spending cuts spark protests
TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s government, under pressure from protests over public spending cuts, said on Wednesday it had done enough to persuade the IMF to approve a $500 million loan tranche at meetings later this month.
Former SS soldier, 88, charged over 1944 village massacre in France
BERLIN (Reuters) – German prosecutors have charged an 88-year-old former member of Hitler’s elite Waffen SS of taking part in a World War Two massacre of hundreds of French villagers, nearly 70 years after one of the most infamous Nazi atrocities.
China takes propaganda war with Japan to United Nations
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – China took its propaganda war with Japan to the United Nations on Wednesday, questioning Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s motives for visiting a controversial war shrine and calling on him to correct his “erroneous outloo…
Al Qaeda group vows to attack Syrian rebels, opposition leaders
BEIRUT (Reuters) – An al Qaeda affiliate based in Iraq and Syria has vowed to crush opposition groups it has been confronting in the worst outbreak of infighting among rebels since the start of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.
EU proposes sending military force to Central African Republic
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union officials proposed on Wednesday that the EU move quickly send troops to Central African Republic, either to the capital Bangui or the west of the country, diplomatic sources said.
Deposed Mursi misses Cairo court hearing after bad weather
CAIRO (Reuters) – The trial of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi on charges of inciting murder of protesters was postponed on Wednesday until February 1 after officials said that bad weather had prevented him being flown to court.
Watchdog body urges Syria to speed up chemical handover
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The world’s chemical weapons watchdog, which is overseeing the destruction of Syria’s toxic arsenal, called on the government of President Bashar al-Assad to pick up momentum in handing over the remaining chemicals.
Eyeing Syria talks, Iran may put Assad ties in play
BEIRUT (Reuters) – For weeks, American officials have lobbied to exclude Iran from the Geneva talks on the Syrian conflict in late January, pointing to Tehran’s military and financial aid to the government of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Canadian National train derailed in two separate places: agency
OTTAWA (Reuters) – A Canadian National Railway Co train carrying crude and propane gas that partially derailed in eastern Canada on Tuesday night came off the tracks in two separate places, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) said on Wednesday.
