Merkel may get help from Bavarian ally in German vote
ABENSBERG, Germany (Reuters) – Angela Merkel’s bid for a third term as chancellor could get a boost from her Bavarian allies who are set to extend their 56-year reign over the rich southern state in a vote on Sunday, just one week before Germany’s fede…
Bulgaria closes probe into Cold War ‘Umbrella killing’
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria said on Wednesday it was closing its investigation into one of the most notorious assassinations of the late Cold War, the killing of exiled dissident Georgy Markov with the poisoned tip of an umbrella on London’s Waterloo Br…
Italy PM Letta says borrowing costs threatened by instability
ROME (Reuters) – Prime Minister Enrico Letta warned on Wednesday that Italy could face higher borrowing costs if continued political instability undermined the progress it had made in reassuring financial markets over the state of its public finances.
Hamas seeks to lower tension with Egypt
GAZA (Reuters) – The Hamas Islamist group ruling Gaza sought to ease tensions with Cairo on Wednesday by ordering Muslim preachers to mute their criticism of the Egyptian government over what some of the clerics have called its war on Islam.
Russia could boost Iran arms sales if U.S. strikes Syria: Putin ally
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A senior lawmaker and ally of President Vladimir Putin suggested on Wednesday that Russia could increase arms sales to Iran or review cooperation over Afghanistan if the United States launches military strikes against Syria.
Western oilmen in Iraq brace for Syria backlash
ARBIL, Iraq/LONDON (Reuters) – Sheltering in a bomb-proof safe room in a heavily-fortified office in Baghdad is the new reality for a senior Western oil executive who runs one of Iraq’s oilfield mega-projects.
Taiwan’s Ma forces out speaker of parliament in lobbying scandal
TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou forced out speaker of parliament, widely seen as the government’s second most powerful figure, over accusations of illegal lobbying on Wednesday, a move that could usher in a period of political instabil…
Crude in deadly Canadian crash was ‘violently’ explosive: newspaper
TORONTO (Reuters) – Investigators believe the crude oil aboard a Canadian train that derailed in the center of a small Quebec town in July, killing 47 people, was “violently” explosive and likely not correctly labeled, the Globe and Mail newspaper repo…
Muslim rebels display human shield tied by rope in southern Philippine standoff
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Reuters) – Rogue Muslim rebels seeking to declare an independent state put a dozen civilians tied together by rope on display as a human shield on Wednesday as a standoff with security forces in a southern Philippine city e…
EU rejects Russian pressure on Ukraine, seeks trade ties
STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) – The European Union rejected on Wednesday Russian pressure to deter Ukraine and other former Soviet republics from deepening trade ties with Europe, saying any kind of retaliation was unacceptable.
