French foreign minister heads to Iraq Wednesday for Islamic State talks: PM
France’s foreign minister will travel to Iraq on Wednesday evening to discuss the situation in northeastern Syria and the impact a Turkish invasion has had on the fight against Islamic State, France’s Prime Minister said.
Hong Kong leader offers no olive branch as jeers force her to abandon address
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam had to abandon her policy speech because of jeering lawmakers on Wednesday but later offered no direct olive branch to pro-democracy protesters, hoping instead to ease resentment by building more public housing.
Britain struggles on two fronts to agree last-ditch Brexit deal
Negotiators struggled on Wednesday to clinch an eleventh-hour Brexit deal on the eve of an EU summit, raising the chances that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will have to seek an extension of the Oct. 31 deadline for Britain’s exit from the bloc.
Possible clarity on Brexit in seven to eight hours: Tusk
European Council President Donald Tusk said on Wednesday it should be known in seven or eight hours when Brexit could happen.
Irish PM says flawed Northern Ireland assembly veto should be overhauled
A veto mechanism in Northern Ireland’s devolved parliament that was intended to prevent discrimination toward one community over another should be overhauled in talks to restore the local assembly, Ireland’s Prime Minister said on Wednesday.
France demands Iran release two of its citizens held since June
France demanded on Wednesday that Iran immediately release two of its nationals who have been held in prison since June, a situation that is likely to complicate Paris’s efforts to defuse tensions between the United States and Tehran.
Strong quake in Philippines sends people scrambling
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck central Mindanao in the southern Philippines on Wednesday, opening cracks in some buildings, sending residents running from shops and offices and knocking out power.
Northern Ireland’s DUP dismisses report on backing Brexit consent proposals
The leader of the DUP, a small Northern Irish party backing Britain’s minority government, dismissed a report on Wednesday that it had accepted the latest proposals on the role the region would play in how Northern Ireland is treated after Brexit.
Czechs must build nuclear plants even if in breach of EU law, says PM
The Czech Republic will have to build new nuclear power plants to replace aging coal and nuclear capacity even if they are in breach of European law, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said on Wednesday.
Madrid takes firm line as pro-independence groups march in Catalonia
Pro-independence groups began protest marches in Catalonia on Wednesday against the jailing of nine separatist leaders, despite a new warning by the Spanish government that it will step in if needed to guarantee security.
