Syria envoy in Damascus, but prospects for peace talks dim
BEIRUT (Reuters) – International envoy Lakhdar Brahimi held talks in Damascus on Monday at the end of a Middle East tour to promote a Syrian peace conference, but regional tensions have cast a pall over his mission.
Czech left leader to start government talks despite party revolt
PRAGUE (Reuters) – The leader of the Czech Republic’s center-left Social Democrats said on Monday he would start talks with centrists on forming a government despite the fact that his own party ejected him from its negotiating team after a poor electio…
Syrian hackers hit Obama-linked Twitter, Facebook accounts
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Syrian Electronic Army, a hacker group sympathetic to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, on Monday seized control of an online tool used by an advocacy organization for U.S. President Barack Obama to redirect links sent from h…
Merkel, SPD agree on transaction tax in coalition talks
BERLIN (Reuters) – Angela Merkel’s conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD) said they had agreed in coalition talks on Monday to push for a financial transaction tax but needed to consult further on the key issue of a European banking union.
Kerry says he may travel to Egypt in coming weeks
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday he may visit Egypt in the coming weeks in what would be his first trip since the army toppled the country’s democratically elected president on July 3.
Storm death toll rises as wind, rain batters northern Europe
LONDON/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Hurricane strength winds battered Britain, the Netherlands and Scandinavia on Monday, killing at least seven people, cutting power and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights and train journeys.
Gunmen steal $55 million from Libyan central bank
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Gunmen stole $55 million in a heist on a van carrying local and foreign currency for the Libyan central bank on Monday, state news agency Lana said.
Mexico beefs up security after attacks on state energy firms
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico has stepped up security in a troubled western region after a string of attacks on electricity installations at the weekend that temporarily knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people.
U.S. ships head towards migrant vessel in distress off Greece
ATHENS (Reuters) – The U.S. navy on Monday sent two guided missile destroyers to help a boat apparently carrying migrants and in distress off southern Greece.
Tunisia’s Islamists, opposition haggle over new premier
TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia’s ruling Islamists and opposition parties held talks on Monday to agree on a new prime minister who will lead a caretaker government, under an agreement to end months of unrest in the north African country.
