Most Germans believe Merkel heir is not yet fit to replace her: poll
Angela Merkel’s heir apparent, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, is not ready to succeed her as chancellor, a poll showed on Wednesday, in a setback to their party’s plans for a smooth leadership transition.
In Asia, Pentagon seeks to separate China military talks from trade war
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Wednesday that tense trade negotiations between China and the United States should be treated separately from military talks between the two countries.
Trump, Erdogan agreed to meet at G-20 in June: Turkish official
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed in a phone call on Wednesday to meet on the sidelines of a G-20 meeting set for June 28-29 in Japan, the Turkish Presidency’s communications director said.
Tiny Irish village to welcome Trump with pride, not protest
In a small corner of Ireland’s west coast Donald Trump means jobs. And the locals are getting ready to line the street with the Stars and Stripes to express their gratitude when he visits next week.
Ireland says too late to tweak controversial Brexit backstop
It is too late to tweak the Irish “backstop” mechanism in Britain’s EU withdrawal agreement, a senior Irish minister said on Wednesday after several candidates to replace British Prime Minister Theresa May said it must be changed.
Spain told by U.N. body to free jailed Catalan separatists
Spain must release three jailed Catalan separatist leaders denied bail while facing trial for their role in the region’s failed bid for independence in 2017, a United Nations expert group will say in a report on Wednesday.
Iraqi court sentences one French man and one Tunisian to death
An Iraqi court sentenced two men, a French citizen and a Tunisian, to death on Wednesday after finding them guilty of joining Islamic State, a prosecutor told Reuters.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say Trump’s Middle East peace plan will fail
Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that Washington’s long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan was doomed to fail and that the Palestinian resistance movement would respond firmly to those who proposed such deal.
Jordan’s king tells Trump adviser peace can only come with a Palestinian state
Jordan’s King Abdullah told U.S. President Donald Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner on Wednesday that a lasting Middle East peace can only come with the creation of a Palestinian state on land captured by Israel in a 1967 war and with east Jerusalem as its…
South Africa’s Ramaphosa to announce new cabinet at 8 p.m.: presidency
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa will announce his new cabinet at 8:00 p.m. local time (1800 GMT), his spokeswoman said on Wednesday, two weeks after his ruling African National Congress (ANC) saw its majority cut in national elections.
