Vatican names prelate to replace disgraced Cardinal O’Brien
ROME (Reuters) – The Vatican named a new Scottish archbishop on Wednesday to replace disgraced Cardinal Keith O’Brien, who resigned in February after admitting sexual misconduct.
Bulgaria parliament siege escalates political crisis
SOFIA (Reuters) – More than 100 Bulgarian lawmakers, ministers and journalists spent the night besieged inside parliament by anti-corruption protesters before police evacuated them early on Wednesday in the latest instability in the southeast European …
U.N. chemical arms investigator arrives in Syria to seek access
DAMASCUS (Reuters) – The head of a U.N. chemical weapons investigation team arrived in Syria on Wednesday to discuss his inquiry into allegations that chemical arms have been used in Syria’s civil war.
Brotherhood: Egypt army chief Sisi’s ‘threat’ won’t stop rallies
CAIRO (Reuters) – A call by Egyptian army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for mass protests on Friday against “violence and terrorism” amounts to a threat against the Muslim Brotherhood, a senior member of the group said.
Syrian rebels kill woman in attack on civilian convoy: activists
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Rebels attacked a convoy of trucks and buses in northern Syria, activists said on Wednesday, after Islamist militants had warned they would target all vehicles on the road to stop the army from using its only remaining route to Alepp…
Former China politician Bo’s trial could start this week: source
BEIJING (Reuters) – The trial of disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai could begin as early as this week, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday, marking the beginning of the end of China’s most sensational scandal in decades.
Egypt army chief calls for protests against violence
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for nationwide rallies on Friday to give the military a mandate to confront what he termed violence and terrorism following the ousting of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.
Gunmen shoot dead nine policemen in northern Iraq
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) – Militants riding on pick-up trucks opened fire on a checkpoint in northern Iraq on Wednesday, killing nine policemen, police said.
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…
