Kosovo’s first envoy to Serbia quits after two days
PRISTINA (Reuters) – Independent Kosovo’s first envoy to Serbia resigned on Wednesday, pre-empting his dismissal just two days into the job for exceeding his powers and making remarks likely to irritate Belgrade.
Czech ruling party backs speaker to be first woman PM
PRAGUE (Reuters) – The ruling Czech Civic Democrats have proposed lower house speaker Miroslava Nemcova as the next prime minister following the resignation of Petr Necas in a corruption scandal, the party said on Wednesday.
Obama defends U.S. intelligence strategy in wary Berlin
BERLIN (Reuters) – President Barack Obama defended U.S. anti-terrorism tactics on a visit to Berlin on Wednesday, telling wary Germans Washington was not spying on the emails of ordinary citizens and promising to step up efforts to close the Guantanamo…
Italy’s 5-Star expels rebel Senator who criticized leader
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s anti-establishment 5-Star Movement on Wednesday kicked out a lawmaker for criticizing its leader Beppe Grillo in the latest sign of growing internal strife in the party that took a quarter of votes at February’s election.
Obama wants to cut nuclear arms, seeks talks with Russia
BERLIN (Reuters) – President Barack Obama wants to reduce deployed nuclear weapons by up to a third and revive negotiations with Russia to “move beyond Cold War nuclear postures”, he said in a speech on Wednesday in Berlin.
Somali Islamist rebels attack U.N. base, 22 dead
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Islamist militants carried out a deadly assault on the main U.N. compound in the Somali capital on Wednesday, dealing a blow to fragile security gains that have allowed a slow return of foreign aid workers and diplomats.
Italy court rejects bid to block Berlusconi tax fraud verdict
ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s constitutional court on Wednesday rejected a bid by Silvio Berlusconi to block a tax fraud conviction from October, clearing the way for a final verdict this year and deepening the uncertainty facing Prime Minister Enrico Letta…
Friends of Syria to meet Saturday in Doha: France
PARIS (Reuters) – The main nations making up the Friends of Syria will meet on Saturday in Doha to discuss assistance for the Free Syrian Army following recent successes by government forces, a French foreign ministry official said.
Former Hungarian PM Gyula Horn dies age 80: government
BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Former Hungarian Socialist Prime Minister Gyula Horn has died at age 80 after a long illness, the government said in a statement on Wednesday, expressing its condolences to the family.
UK top court ruling threatens Western sanctions against Iran
LONDON (Reuters) – Western government sanctions against Iran suffered a big setback on Wednesday when Britain’s top court ruled that the government was wrong to have imposed sanctions on the biggest Iranian private bank over alleged links to Tehran’s n…
