Spain gears up for express election amid increasingly divided society
Spain’s main political parties kicked off a highly condensed electoral campaign on Thursday night, just 10 days before Spaniards head to the polls for a repeat election that is likely to show an increasingly fragmented society.
U.S. warns Russian trolls stoking conflict in Chile
The U.S. State Department warned on Thursday that it had seen indications of Russian “influence” on recent unrest in Chile, where two weeks of protests and riots have rocked the administration of President Sebastian Pinera.
Exclusive: U.S. withholding $105 million in security aid for Lebanon – sources
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is withholding $105 million in security aid for Lebanon, two U.S. officials said on Thursday, two days after the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri.
Banks will seek to stop money leaving Lebanon when doors reopen: sources
Lebanon’s banks will seek to prevent capital flight when they open on Friday but without imposing formal capital controls after a two-week closure due to nationwide protests which led the prime minister to resign, banking sources told Reuters.
North Korea conducted successful multiple rocket launchers test: KCNA
North Korea conducted another test of super-large multiple rocket launchers on Thursday afternoon, calling it a success, state news agency KCNA said on Friday.
Spain’s hosting of COP25 climate summit largely a done deal: Government Source
Hosting the COP25 climate summit in Madrid following Chile’s withdrawal as host, is largely a done deal, a Spanish government source said on Thursday.
U.S. envoy for North Korea Biegun tapped for No. 2 job at State Department: White House
President Donald Trump plans to nominate U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun to become the next deputy secretary of state, the White House said on Thursday.
Syria’s Assad says Kurdish controlled northeast Syria must return to state authority
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Thursday that his government’s ultimate goal was to restore state authority over Kurdish controlled areas in northeast Syria after an abrupt U.S. troop withdrawal but he expected it to happen gradually.
Mexican president dismisses report alleging military discontent
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador denied on Thursday discord among the upper echelons of the military, after a newspaper published the alleged speech of an army general sharply criticizing the government and a “politically polarized society…
UK grant for firm run by Johnson’s friend was appropriate: audit
A decision by Britain’s government to award a 100,000-pound ($129,500) grant to a company run by an American businesswoman who was a friend of Boris Johnson before he became prime minister was appropriate, a government audit report said.
