U.S. seeks to negotiate a treaty with Iran: special envoy
The United States is seeking to negotiate a treaty with Iran that will cover both its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, U.S. special envoy for Iran Brian Hook said on Wednesday ahead of UN meetings in New York next week.
German SPD leader urges members to continue in coalition government
Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) should remain in conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition despite a dispute over the ousting of the country’s domestic intelligence chief, SPD party leader Andrea Nahles wrote in a letter to members.
Ireland’s Brexit backstop, and why it matters
A “backstop” policy on Northern Ireland’s land border with the European Union is a key obstacle to Britain securing a deal with Brussels on an orderly exit from the bloc in March. This is what it is and why it matters:
UK Brexit minister asks opposition Labour to clarify whether it backs second vote
Britain’s Brexit minister wrote to the opposition Labour Party on Wednesday asking it urgently to clarify whether it backs a second Brexit vote after some Labour figures have left open the possibility of a new referendum.
Trump praises Korean summit, cites progress on North Korea
U.S. President Donald Trump hailed Wednesday’s summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and said there had been “tremendous progress” with North Korea on several fronts including Pyongyang’s denuclearizatio…
Russia’s Putin, Germany’s Merkel discuss Syria, Ukraine: Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to German Chancellor Angela Merkel by phone on Wednesday about the deal reached between Turkey and Russia on the rebel-held Syrian region of Idlib, the Kremlin said.
Turkey cuts investment levels for citizenship, property sales seen boosted
Turkey has slashed the financial and investment criteria for foreigners to become Turkish citizens, in a move expected to double annual property investment by foreigners to around $10 billion, according to sector officials.
Vietnam jails two Vietnamese-Americans for 14 years for attempting to overthrow the state
(Corrects this Aug. 22 story throughout to show defendants were convicted for attempting to overthrow the state (not found guilty of terrorism or masterminding bomb attacks). The original story and a previous correction had misrepresented the nature of…
Europeans still open to refugees, three years after crisis
A majority of Europeans support taking in refugees although many disapprove of how the European Union has handled a record influx of migrants that peaked three years ago, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center.
Merkel coalition slides into ‘permanent crisis mode’ with spy row
A clumsy compromise to end a row over the fate of Germany’s spy chief has exposed a cruel fact: the parties in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s right-left coalition are loveless partners in a dysfunctional relationship that none of them can afford to quit.
