ISTANBUL/DAMASCUS (Reuters) – After 13 years of civil war, Syria’s opposition militias sensed an opportunity to loosen President Bashar al-Assad’s grip on power when, about six months ago, they communicated to Turkey plans for a major offensive and felt they had received its tacit approval, two sources with knowledge of the planning said. Launched barely …
How Syria rebels’ stars aligned for Assad’s ouster Read More »
By Samia Nakhoul, Andrew Mills DOHA (Reuters) -The ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, after rebel forces swept into Damascus this weekend, shattered Iran’s network of influence in the Middle East but Israel, the United States and Arab powers must now deal with the risk of instability and extremism from the mosaic of forces that …
Assad’s exit shatters Iran’s influence but risks Islamists’ rise in Syria Read More »
PARIS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron will convene all political parties willing to compromise with a view to forming a government on Tuesday at 1300 GMT, the Elysee presidential palace said in Monday. A source close to Macron said neither the far-right National Rally party nor the left wing France Unbowed party wanted to …
VIENNA (Reuters) – Austria is dropping its veto on Romania and Bulgaria becoming full members of Europe’s Schengen free-travel area, its interior ministry said on Monday, paving the way for European Union interior ministers to approve the move at a meeting on Thursday. Romania and Bulgaria, both EU and NATO members, partly joined Schengen in …
Austria drops veto on Bulgaria, Romania fully joining Schengen travel zone Read More »
LISBON (Reuters) – The European Union needs common instruments to fund defence spending amid a protracted war in Ukraine and calls from Washington for NATO members to increase such expenditure, Portugal’s finance minister said on Monday. “All together we must find solutions, just as we did in the financial crisis, the sovereign debt crisis, during …
Portugal calls for joint EU funding for defence spending Read More »
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Netherlands is to phase out international adoption over the next six years, following a 2021 report that raised concerns about potential abuse. In the past 50 years, Dutch parents have adopted around 40,000 children from 80 countries. However, the practice has declined significantly in recent years, with only 50 adoptions from …
Netherlands to phase out international adoption over next six years Read More »
By Yurii Kovalenko and Valentyn Ogirenko KYIV REGION, Ukraine (Reuters) – When Ukrainian judge Vladyslav Tsukurov learned he could serve his country with both gavel and gun, he jumped at the chance. By day, he helps keep the wartime judicial system going, ruling over civil and criminal cases outside Ukraine’s capital Kyiv. By night, he …
Ukraine’s drone-hunting judges fight on two fronts Read More »
By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) -Swiss prosecutors are seeking a total of over $156 million in penalties and compensation from Trafigura and a four-year jail sentence for former Chief Operating Officer Mike Wainwright at an ongoing corruption trial in Switzerland, a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office said on Monday. The case is the first …
Swiss prosecutors seek $156 million from Trafigura in corruption trial Read More »
By Johan Ahlander STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Ministers in Sweden’s government are considering imposing age limits on social media platforms if tech companies find themselves unable to prevent gangs from recruiting young people online to carry out murders and bombings in the Nordics. A wave of gang crime has led to Sweden recording the most deadly …
Sweden mulling social media age limit to stop gangs recruiting young people Read More »
By Silvia Ognibene FLORENCE (Reuters) -Two people died and nine were injured after an explosion on Monday at a fuel depot facility near Florence owned by Italian energy firm Eni, the president of the Tuscany region said. Three people remain missing. “All of Tuscany is united in grief for the tragedy that happened today,” Eugenio …
Blast at Italian fuel depot near Florence kills two, injures nine Read More »
