Estonia’s ruling party tries new PM candidate as Kallas drops bid
TALLINN (Reuters) – Estonia’s ruling party was forced to pick a new candidate for the job of prime minister on Wednesday after its first choice, EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas, pulled out complaining of a smear campaign.
French government on defensive over Sarkozy phone-taps
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s justice minister on Wednesday defied calls for her to quit after it emerged that she knew former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s phone was being tapped, apparently contradicting an earlier statement from her.
Algerian premier to quit to run Bouteflika election campaign: source
ALGIERS (Reuters) – Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal will resign on Thursday to become campaign director for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the ageing independence leader who is running for re-election, a source close to the presidency said o…
Israel’s parliament toughens referendum-on-peace law
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel’s parliament on Wednesday toughened a law requiring a public referendum on potential land-for-peace deals involving withdrawals from land annexed by Israel.
Libyan PM flees country after tanker escapes rebel-held port
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Former Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan sought refuge in Europe on Wednesday after parliament voted him out for failing to stop rebels independently exporting oil in a challenge to Libya’s fragile unity.
Assad visits displaced Syrians outside Damascus: TV
BEIRUT (Reuters) – President Bashar al-Assad visited displaced Syrians in the town of Adra on Wednesday, state media said, in a rare public appearance outside the heart of Damascus.
Somalia, peacekeepers launch offensive against militants: U.N.
NAIROBI (Reuters) – African Union peacekeepers and the Somali army have begun a major offensive against al Shabaab militants, the U.N.’s Special Representative to Somalia said on Wednesday, urging donors to fund logistical support.
UAE summons Iraq ambassador over Saudi ‘terrorism’ charge
DUBAI (Reuters) – The United Arab Emirates summoned Iraq’s ambassador on Wednesday to protest against his prime minister’s accusation that its ally Saudi Arabia was funding “terrorism”, state new agency WAM reported.
U.N. appeals to Russia, U.S. to salvage Syria peace talks
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed to Russia and the United States on Wednesday to help revive stalled peace talks aimed at ending Syria’s three-year-old civil war, saying it was time to put an end to the bloodshed t…
Rocket barrage from Gaza hits Israel, no one hurt: police
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired more than 30 rockets into Israel on Wednesday, the Israeli military said, in the heaviest such barrage in two years.
