Qaeda affiliate overruns Syrian town near Turkish border: activists
AMMAN (Reuters) – A rebel group affiliated with al Qaeda overran a Syrian town near the border with Turkey on Wednesday after fighting broke out with units of the Arab- and Western-backed Free Syrian Army, opposition activists said.
German left keeps its own Merkel waiting in the wings
HAMM, Germany (Reuters) – Facing an election defeat on Sunday, Germany’s Social Democrats are holding on to their trump card, Hannelore Kraft, a popular former handball player who is seen as the left’s answer to Angela Merkel.
British liberals aim to keep hold in govt at 2015 poll
LONDON (Reuters) – Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, flagging in opinion polls less than two years before an election, vowed on Wednesday to break the hold of Britain’s two main parties and keep his Liberal Democrats’ place in a coalition government.
Germany sold Syria chemicals with military potential: government
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany exported 111 tonnes of chemicals to Syria between 2002 and 2006 that could be used in the production of sarin gas, according to a government document published on Wednesday.
Six confirmed dead in Canadian bus-train crash: official
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Ottawa emergency officials said six people were killed on Wednesday when a passenger train collided with a double-decker city bus and derailed on the outskirts of Canada’s capital city.
Niger would welcome armed U.S. drones: foreign minister
NIAMEY (Reuters) – Niger would welcome the deployment of armed U.S. drones to the West African country to help in its battle against an armed Islamist threat and drug trafficking in the Sahara, Foreign Minister Mohamed Bazoum said on Wednesday.
Forty-five percent of Scots say independence would harm economy: poll
EDINBURGH (Reuters) – Scottish separatists may feel their goal of an independent state built on national pride and commercial acumen heaving into view; but a poll published on Wednesday suggested nearly a half of Scots fear a break with London would da…
Opposition suspends role in Bahrain talks after leader held
BAHRAIN (Reuters) – Bahrain’s largest opposition party on Wednesday suspended its participation in talks with the government aimed at ending 2-1/2 years of political turmoil in protest at the arrest of its deputy leader.
Iran frees jailed human rights lawyer: husband
DUBAI (Reuters) – Imprisoned Iranian lawyer and human rights activist Nasrin Sotoudeh has been freed by the authorities, her husband said on Wednesday.
Zimbabwe’s Tsvangirai vows to stay on as opposition leader
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said on Wednesday he would remain leader of his MDC party despite an internal call for him to quit after an overwhelming defeat in July’s presidential election against Robert Mugabe.
