Greece restoring confidence in reform program, says Barroso
VIENNA (Reuters) – Greece is restoring confidence in its economic reform program, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Thursday.
Portugal lax on bribery abroad, Angolan ties a concern: OECD
LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal’s must thoroughly investigate allegations of foreign bribery as its inaction raises serious concerns, especially over business with former colony Angola, the OECD warned on Thursday.
Egyptian court frees Mubarak-era prime minister Nazif
CAIRO (Reuters) – An Egyptian court ordered the release of former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif on Thursday because of a limit on pre-trial detention in a corruption case for which he had been held since the revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak.
Kuwait sets sixth parliamentary election in seven years
KUWAIT (Reuters) – Kuwait will hold its sixth parliamentary election in seven years on July 25, a snap vote ordered by its top court after the current assembly was dissolved earlier this week in another sign of political turmoil in the Gulf Arab state….
Israel’s Netanyahu signals annoyance with EU over Hezbollah
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced exasperation on Thursday with the European Union’s reluctance to classify Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement as a terrorist group.
Chaos, Islamist threat plague Libya’s lawless desert south
SABHA, Libya (Reuters) – Sitting on cement blocks, surrounded by shisha pipes and machine guns, a dozen or so tribesmen guard a makeshift checkpoint outside the main city in Libya’s desert south.
Rebels hang on near Damascus, hope for deal on arms from Jordan
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian rebels besieged in the outskirts of Damascus say they are facing a slow but steady advance by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, and are pinning their hopes on an anticipated influx of weapons from the Jordanian border.
Guinea’s opposition leader suspends talks with government
CONAKRY (Reuters) – Guinea’s main opposition leader on Thursday pulled out of U.N.-mediated election talks with the government, accusing police and youths of attacking him and his supporters.
Bulgaria back in line with EU on Hezbollah bomb link: diplomats
SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria will not impede a push to put Hezbollah’s armed wing on the European Union’s terrorism blacklist because the new government, after wavering on the issue, has now decided to fall into line with its fellow EU members, diplomats…
France’s Fabius wants more talks with Syria rebels before arming
PARIS (Reuters) – France said on Thursday it needed more talks with Syrian rebels before it could supply them with heavy weapons and said recent gains by Syrian government forces did not mean President Bashar al-Assad was heading for a “complete victor…
