Italy’s divided coalition to seek to plug budget hole on Friday
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s fractious coalition government will try to work out on Friday how to avert a planned rise in sales tax while reining in a budget deficit which is overshooting European Union limits.
Syrian rebel leader returns to reconcile Islamist fighters
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – The head of the opposition Syrian Supreme Military Council cut short a visit to France on Thursday and said he would head to Syria for talks with rebel brigades that broke with the Western-backed coalition.
No evidence of al Shabaab threat against U.S., attorney general says
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has no specific, credible evidence of a threat against it from al Shabaab, the Somali militant group that raised security concerns with its attack on a Nairobi mall, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Thu…
Britain’s Labour treads narrow path between populism and prudence
LONDON (Reuters) – An attack by British opposition leader Ed Miliband on energy companies, big corporations and landowners may give him a short-term lift in the polls, but could damage his Labour party’s bid to restore its economic credibility before t…
U.S., China agree Iran should respond positively to nuclear proposals
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The United States and China agree it is important for Tehran to respond positively to existing nuclear proposals by six major powers, U.S. officials said ahead of a meeting on Thursday between Iran and the five permanent U.N. Secur…
Merkel allies row back on tax hikes before SPD meeting
BERLIN (Reuters) – Leading members of Angela Merkel’s conservatives scrambled on Thursday to quash an impression they might accept tax hikes as part of a coalition deal with the Social Democrats (SPD), a day after strongly signaling they could live wit…
End nears for indebted industrial giants of former Yugoslavia
PODGORICA (Reuters) – There was once a time when a job at Podgorica’s sprawling aluminum plant meant a free apartment, a discount on holiday rentals and a large dose of prestige in socialist Yugoslavia.
Interpol issues alert for ‘White Widow’ sought in Kenya
PARIS (Reuters) – Interpol issued a wanted persons alert at Kenya’s request on Thursday for Samantha Lewthwaite, a British citizen dubbed the “White Widow”, without mentioning her suspected role in the Nairobi mall attack.
Nigerian Islamist ‘leader’ claims killings in video
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) – A man claiming to be the leader of Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram in a new video said the sect took responsibility for a highway ambush that killed scores of people last week in one of its deadliest attacks to date.
German left torn over sharing power with Merkel
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s defeated Social Democrats may struggle to rally support for a ‘grand coalition’ with Angela Merkel’s conservatives from activists who fear the party could wither further in the shadow of the popular chancellor.
