Russia says will keep bombing Syria’s Idlib if need be: Ifax
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that Moscow would keep bombing militant targets in Syria’s Idlib Province if need be, but would also open humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to flee, the Interfax news agency reported.
Italy’s Salvini likens African immigrants to ‘slaves’
Italian far-right leader and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini likened African immigrants to slaves at a European conference on Thursday, drawing an angry response from Luxembourg’s foreign minister, who cursed at him in frustration.
Merkel: Want close defense cooperation with Britain after Brexit
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that she wanted the European Union to have a close relationship with Britain when it leaves the bloc and added that the allies should work together closely on security and defense in the future.
UK Labour Party to vote against PM May’s Brexit deal, senior lawmaker says
Britain’s opposition Labour Party is set to vote against any Brexit deal reached by Prime Minister Theresa May and the lack of a viable exit from the European Union will force May from office before Christmas, a senior Labour lawmaker told the Financia…
Brexit talks ‘closing in on workable solutions’, Raab says
British and European Union negotiators are “closing in on workable solutions” to the outstanding issues in Brexit talks, Britain’s Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said after a phone call with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier.
Libya’s divisions
Libya is set to miss a mid-September deadline to fix a framework for elections in December, part of a U.N.-led effort to reunify and stabilize a country that splintered after the Nato-backed uprising which overthrew Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Germany says closure of Washington PLO office undermines two-state solution
The United States’ decision to close the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) office in Washington will make it harder to reach a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, a spokeswoman for the German foreign ministry said on Friday….
Thai parties cleared to organize for first time in years as election nears
Political parties in Thailand were on Friday allowed to resume organizing for the first time since a 2014 military coup, in anticipation of a general election due by May, but a ban on gatherings or more than five people remains in place.
UK court rules against electoral watchdog in Brexit spending row
Britain’s electoral regulator misinterpreted the spending law when it allowed the main Brexit campaign to donate to a smaller, aligned group during the 2016 referendum campaign, London’s High Court ruled on Friday.
China says willing to provide Venezuela with what help it can
China is willing to provide Venezuela with what help it can, Premier Li Keqiang told Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on Friday, but there was no mention in state media of China providing any new funds for the country.
