Italian minister defends F-35 jet purchase on eve of tense vote
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s cash-strapped government plans to go ahead with purchasing 90 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets, Defense Minister Mario Mauro said on Tuesday, ahead of a vote that risks splitting the ruling coalition.
France shuts down two fringe far-right groups
PARIS (Reuters) – The French government has ordered the closure of two far-right fringe groups following the killing of a leftist student during a brawl in Paris this month, the groups said on Tuesday.
U.S.-Russia Syria talks end without agreement
GENEVA (Reuters) – U.N.-brokered talks on Tuesday aimed at setting up a conference to end the war in Syria ended with U.S. and Russian officials failing to agree on many questions, including the dates and participants, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister G…
French police arrest cell with possible Syria link
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s interior minister said on Tuesday that police had arrested three suspected Jihadists whom a security expert said were part of a group sending Islamist fighters to Syria.
Albanians hand Socialists a landslide, wait on PM to concede
TIRANA (Reuters) – With almost all votes counted, Albania’s Socialist opposition was on course for a landslide victory on Tuesday in a parliamentary election, but there was still no word from defeated Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
Army win in Lebanon’s Sidon has set sectarian ‘trap’: Sunnis say
SIDON, Lebanon (Reuters) – Soldiers strutted confidently down the battle-scarred streets of the Lebanese port of Sidon on Tuesday after routing a radical Sunni Muslim sheikh and his militant supporters in a two-day battle.
Saudi Arabia says Syrian war on rebels is ‘genocide’
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday the Syrian government’s attempts to suppress a rebellion amounted to “genocide” and called for rebels to get military aid to defend themselves, in a sharp escalation of rhetoric over the con…
Czech president picks leftist PM in snub to majority
PRAGUE (Reuters) – Czech President Milos Zeman snubbed the outgoing centre-right coalition by appointing left-wing economist Jiri Rusnok as prime minister on Tuesday, in a step likely to prolong political turmoil by weeks or even months.
EU gives preliminary go-ahead for Serbia entry talks by January
LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) – European Union ministers agreed on Tuesday to start negotiations on membership with Serbia by January as a reward for improving relations with its former province Kosovo.
Berlusconi verdict opens volatile new phase for Italy government
ROME (Reuters) – Silvio Berlusconi’s conviction on charges relating to underage prostitution has opened an unpredictable chapter for Italy’s fragile coalition government just as signs of uncertainty have returned to euro zone financial markets.
