EU seeks Italian support for Turkey arms embargo
Spain, Austria and Belgium joined Germany and France on Monday in backing an arms embargo on Turkey over its Syrian offensive but top exporter Italy had yet to declare its position, leaving an-EU wide ban in doubt.
Saudi visit shows Putin’s deepening Middle East influence
President Vladimir Putin signaled Moscow’s growing Middle East clout on Monday by visiting Saudi Arabia for the first time in over a decade, buoyed by Russian military gains in Syria, strong ties with Riyadh’s regional rivals and energy cooperation.
Spaniards react to prison sentences for Catalan separatist leaders
Spain’s Supreme Court on Monday sentenced nine Catalan separatist leaders to up to 13 years in prison for sedition over their role in a failed independence bid, dividing opinion both in the region and across Spain.
Blizzard Entertainment cuts punishment for gamer in Hong Kong protests row
U.S. games publisher Blizzard Entertainment has reduced the punishment dealt out to a Hong Kong-based Hearthstone esports gamer for his public support of pro-democracy protests after its decision sparked controversy among players and the public.
Hong Kong protesters take violence to new ‘life-threatening’ level, say police
Violent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong have escalated to a “life-threatening level”, police said on Monday, after a small bomb exploded and a police officer was stabbed in clashes overnight.
Exclusive: Ukraine sees hope for ‘last chance’ peace summit in mid-November
The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany could hold a summit in Paris in mid-November if Kiev and pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine can maintain a ceasefire, Ukraine’s foreign minister said on Monday, warning of a “last chance” for Moscow…
India partially restores mobile phone lines in Kashmir
India restored some mobile phone services in contested Kashmir on Monday, two months after imposing a communications clampdown on the Himalayan region.
Convicted Catalan separatists must comply with sentences: acting PM
Twelve leaders of a separatist movement in the Spanish region of Catalonia must comply with sentences handed to them for their roles in a failed bid for independence in 2017, acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday.
Erdogan signals Turkish operation to Syria’s Manbij
President Tayyip Erdogan signaled on Monday that Turkey aims to drive Kurdish-led fighters from the northern Syrian town of Manbij, after Syrian Kurdish officials struck a deal with the Syrian government to confront Ankara’s offensive.
Pioneers in fight against poverty win 2019 Nobel economics prize
Economists Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer won the 2019 Nobel Economics Prize for their work in fighting global poverty, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said on Monday.
