Portugal political crisis a catalogue of missteps
LISBON (Reuters) – Portugal’s political crisis may have been papered over but the ill-timed power games have done little to help the bailed-out country’s credibility abroad.
Kazakh ambassador denies pushing Italy to deport dissident’s wife
ROME (Reuters) – Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Rome on Wednesday denied his government had pressured the Italian interior minister to deport the wife and daughter of a dissident oligarch in a case that threatened to bring down the fragile coalition govern…
Italian president warns against early elections
ROME (Reuters) – Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, speaking before a parliamentary confidence vote on Wednesday, warned squabbling politicians not to precipitate early elections, saying uncertainty would endanger Italy.
Russia’s Putin to visit Tehran for nuclear talks: media reports
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian leader Vladimir Putin will meet Iran’s newly elected president in Tehran next month to discuss restarting talks on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, Russian and Iranian media reports said on Wednesday.
Italian government faces confidence vote on growth package
ROME (Reuters) – The Italian government called a confidence vote on Wednesday to push through a broad package of measures delayed by debate on hundreds of proposed amendments.
Senior Merkel ally says “very worried” about France: paper
BERLIN (Reuters) – A leader of Germany’s junior coalition party, the Free Democrats (FDP), has said he is very concerned about France and warned of severe consequences if the French economy does not recover.
Analysis: Southern Europe awaits German election in fear, hope
MADRID (Reuters) – Like the coming of the messiah, depressed southern Europe nations await Angela Merkel’s likely victory in Germany’s September election with a mixture of hope and trepidation.
Bulgarian lawmakers escorted out of parliament past protesters
SOFIA (Reuters) – More than 100 Bulgarian lawmakers, ministers and journalists were escorted out of parliament early on Wednesday after being trapped inside for about eight hours by anti-corruption protesters outside.
Most passengers rescued after asylum seekers boat sinks off Indonesia
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Three people died but another 157 suspected asylum seekers were rescued after their boat sank off the southern coast of Indonesia, officials said on Wednesday after earlier reports that as many as 60 may have perished.
High ranking Chinese official to attend North Korea festivities
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s vice-president, an unusually high ranking official to visit North Korea, will lead a delegation to attend festivities there marking the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War.
