Hariri ready to be Lebanese prime minister again but with conditions: source
Saad al-Hariri is ready to return as prime minister of a new Lebanese government, a senior official familiar with his thinking said, on condition it includes technocrats and can quickly implement reforms to stave off economic collapse.
Myanmar court jails satirical performers
A court in Myanmar sentenced five satirical performers to a year in jail with hard labor on Wednesday for shows that criticized the army’s role in politics.
IOM suspends some Ebola screening after three aid workers killed in South Sudan
United Nations migration organization body IOM said on Wednesday it had suspended some of its screening services for Ebola after three of its aid workers were killed in South Sudan in the latest incident involving relief staff in the country.
Brazil house speaker says tax reform is priority in Congress
Brazil’s lower house speaker Rodrigo Maia said on Wednesday that the tax reform is currently a priority for the National Congress and that an administrative overhaul to contain the growth of payroll spending will be carried out next year.
Putin to skip APEC summit in Chile, Kremlin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin has no plans to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Chile next month, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, adding that the decision had nothing to do with the ongoing riots in Chile.
Synagogue attack prompts German crackdown on right-wing hate crime
The German cabinet on Wednesday approved measures to fight right-wing political violence, including tougher rules on gun ownership and stricter monitoring of hate speech online, responding to a rise in hate crime by militant extremists.
UK PM Johnson says government will make fracking announcement shortly
The British government will shortly make an announcement about fracking, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday, citing concerns about earth tremors which have been caused by such gas extraction in the past.
Syria government hits at ‘occupation’, opposition urges justice as peace panel opens
Syria’s government condemned what it called the occupation of its land and the opposition demanded justice and peace on Wednesday at the opening of a U.N.-backed panel designed to bring about political reconciliation ending years of civil war.
Turkey sees YPG withdrawal incomplete; joint Russian patrols to start Friday
Turkey has information that the Kurdish YPG militia has not completed its withdrawal to 30 km (18.64 miles) from the Turkish border in northeast Syria, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, despite assurances from Russia that they had left.
Britain gives Argentina back Madonna statue taken from Falklands
Thirty-seven years after the Falklands war, a tiny statue of the Madonna taken at the end of the conflict and held in Britain ever since is going home to Argentina in a gesture of reconciliation blessed by Pope Francis.
