Analysis: Southern Europe’s leaders eager for Merkel, public fearful
MADRID (Reuters) – Southern European leaders await Angela Merkel as a potential savior for their depressed economies after her likely re-election in September, but ordinary citizens from Lisbon to Athens just fear more German-ordained austerity.
Poland’s premier backs under-fire finance minister
WARSAW (Reuters) – Poland’s prime minister praised the performance of his finance minister on Wednesday, cooling recent talk that Jacek Rostowski could soon be replaced due to divisions over economic policy.
Egypt’s Tamarud youth group backs army call for protests
CAIRO (Reuters) – Influential Egyptian youth movement Tamarud said it backed an army call for mass rallies on Friday to give the military a mandate to confront street violence following its ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi this month.
Yemen journalist pardoned after three years in prison
SANAA (Reuters) – A Yemeni journalist and expert on al Qaeda has been released after serving three years of a five-year sentence for aiding the Islamist militant network in Yemen, the president’s office said on Wednesday.
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.
