Ireland’s Varadkar wants to help May as far as possible
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Friday he wanted to help Prime Minister Theresa May as much as possible but that EU leaders could not offer her any guarantees that ran counter to what was already agreed in Brexit talks.
EU’s Tusk says no more Brexit negotiations
European Council President Donald Tusk said on Friday he had no mandate to reopen Brexit negotiations with Britain, while the head of the bloc’s executive, Jean-Claude Juncker, said he “admired” Prime Minister Theresa May.
One of Khashoggi killers said ‘I know how to cut’ on audio, Erdogan says
One of the killers of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was heard saying “I know how to cut” on the audio of the killing Turkey shared with U.S. and European officials, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.
France needs calm, order and return to normal after protests: Macron
President Emmanuel Macron called for a return to calm in France after nearly a month of protests by the ‘yellow vest’ movement against his government’s policies which have hit growth and caused widespread disruption.
Risk of ‘managed’ no-deal Brexit rising, British minister says
The risk of a “managed” no-deal Brexit is rising as Prime Minister Theresa May is unlikely to win enough from the European Union to satisfy Euroskeptic rebels in her own party, a senior British minister told Reuters.
Nigeria accuses UNICEF staff of spying, halts activities
The Nigerian military on Friday accused United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) staff of spying for Islamist militants in northeast Nigeria, and suspended the agency’s activities there.
France’s Macron: The Brexit accord is not renegotiable
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said he continued to believe an economic stabilization function was necessary in the budget of the euro zone and reiterated there was only one achievable deal with London regarding Brexit.
U.S.-backed Syrian forces close to seizing town from Islamic State: spokeswoman
The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces will soon seize the town of Hajin from Islamic State (IS) in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border, a spokeswoman said on Friday.
Sri Lanka PM Rajapaksa to resign as fears of government shutdown grow
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will resign from his post, his son said on Friday, in a move that will force President Maithripala Sirisena to appoint a replacement to avert a possible government shutdown on Jan 1.
Euro zone takes step to deeper integration, key issues unresolved
European Union leaders took a step toward deeper euro zone integration on Friday to help prevent future crises, but deep disagreement left key issues like a euro zone budget and a deposit guarantee scheme unresolved.
