Maldives president expected to cement grip on power in election
Maldives President Abdulla Yameen is expected to cement his grip on power in an election on Sunday that opposition and international groups have criticised for a lack of transparency and the suppression of dissent.
German minister refuses to bow to demands to fire scandal-hit official: Bild
German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told Bild newspaper he would not bow to demands to dismiss Hans-Georg Maassen, who was set to take up a senior role in the interior ministry after being ousted as spymaster.
Pirates kidnap 12 crew members from Swiss vessel in Nigerian waters – ship operator
Pirates kidnapped 12 crew members from a Swiss merchant vessel on Saturday in Nigerian waters, the ship’s operator said in a statement.
Hundreds of thousands without power in Ottawa after tornado hits
Hundreds of thousands of people were stranded without power in and around the Canadian capital Ottawa on Saturday after a tornado touched down twice, destroying some houses and ripping the roofs off others.
China summons U.S. ambassador to protest sanctions over Russia military equipment
China’s foreign ministry on Saturday summoned the U.S. ambassador in Beijing to protest Washington’s decision to sanction a Chinese military agency and its director for purchasing Russian fighter jets and an advanced surface-to-air missile system.
Two car bombs explode in Somali capital, two injured
Two car bombs exploded in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Saturday, injuring two people, an emergency worker and a police officer said.
Italy PM spokesman threatens vendetta if Treasury fails to find funds for welfare reform
Italy’s prime ministerial spokesman has warned that the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement in the coalition government will sack Treasury officials in a “mega-vendetta” unless they find the resources needed for welfare spending.
Iran’s Khamenei blames Gulf states for military parade attack
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused U.S.-backed Gulf Arab states of carrying out a shooting attack on a military parade that killed 25 people, almost half of them members of the country’s elite Revolutionary Guards.
Iran’s Khamenei says attack on military parade is linked to U.S. allies
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that an attack on a military parade in southwestern Iran was linked to the United States’ “allies in the region” and ordered security forces to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Thousands march in Warsaw demanding higher public sector pay
Thousands of protesters marched through the Polish capital on Saturday demanding higher public sector pay, piling pressure on the Law and Justice (PiS) government ahead of a municipal election in October.
