Merkel’s humiliated allies look to change of leader for revival
BERLIN (Reuters) – Angela Merkel’s outgoing coalition partners, the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), pinned their hopes on a new leader on Monday to rescue them from oblivion, a day after crashing out of Germany’s parliament for the first time in their hi…
Jailed member of Russia’s punk band on hunger strike
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A jailed member of Russia’s Pussy Riot punk band said she was starting a hunger strike on Monday to protest against “slave labor” in her penal colony and said she had received a death threat from a senior prison official.
Greece orders probe into police force after rapper’s death
ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s government ordered a probe into possible police connections with the far-right Golden Dawn party on Monday and replaced several top officers after the killing of an anti-racism rapper turned the spotlight on the force.
Costa Concordia captain looks to spread blame for accident
GROSSETO, Italy (Reuters) – The captain of the Costa Concordia told a court on Monday that a junior officer who was at the wheel at the time shared the blame for the cruise liner disaster that killed 32 people last year.
France cleared the use of frozen funds to export food to Syria
PARIS (Reuters) – France has cleared the use of frozen Syrian bank assets to fund the export of food to the country as part of a European Union system that allows such funds to be used for humanitarian ends, a spokeswoman at the French trade ministry s…
Clashes in Guinea’s capital kill one, wound 50: government
CONAKRY (Reuters) – At least one person was killed and more than 50 wounded in Guinea’s capital in clashes between supporters of rival political parties, the government said on Monday.
Iran says 80 prisoners freed ahead of Rouhani’s U.N. visit
DUBAI (Reuters) – Iranian authorities have pardoned 80 prisoners ahead of President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to the United Nations in New York this week, Iranian media reported on Monday.
Crime makes Marseille springboard for French far-right’s ambitions
MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) – Gangland killings in broad daylight on the streets of Marseille, and the apparent inability of authorities to do anything about it, have handed France’s National Front a dream springboard from which to launch its far-right…
Kenya’s economy seen resilient to mall attack, tourism apart
NAIROBI/MOMBASA (Reuters) – Security worries are nothing new in Kenya and so the country is unlikely to see long-term investors pull money out after the deadly attack on a Nairobi shopping mall, analysts say.
China’s Xi stamps authority on party with Bo verdict
BEIJING (Reuters) – With ousted senior politician Bo Xilai jailed for life, Chinese President Xi Jinping has stamped his authority on the Communist Party by effectively warning he will not tolerate dissent as he seeks to push through tough economic ref…
