LONDON – The British government has rewarded advisers, staff and defeated or retired lawmakers with seats in the House of Lords. The prime minister’s office on Thursday announced 45 new peers, including former Conservative Foreign Secretary William Hague, former Treasury chief Alistair Darling of the Labour Party and ex-Liberal Democrat …
Read More »2 French journalists charged on allegations of trying to blackmail Moroccan king
PARIS – French authorities have handed two journalists preliminary extortion charges on accusations that they tried to blackmail Moroccan King Mohammed VI. The Paris prosecutor’s office said Saturday that French writers Eric Laurent and Catherine Graciet were released under judicial supervision after being given the charges. A French lawyer for …
Read More »Germany open to 4-way Ukraine summit if there's hope of making progress
BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she’s open to holding a new summit with the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and France but that there would have to be hope of progress for it to make sense. France and Russia issued statements talking of a possible summit with Ukraine’s leader …
Read More »Spain police bust large marijuana plantation set up by inmate while on prison leave
MADRID – Spanish authorities who raided what is thought to be the country’s largest outdoor marijuana planation didn’t have far to look for the prime suspect. He was in jail. The 47-year-old Spaniard arranged for others to cultivate a three-hectare (7.4 acre) olive grove he had purchased while on prison …
Read More »Business group says China running out of time for reform, calls for faster market-opening
BEIJING – A European business group warned Tuesday that China is running out of time to keep slowing economic growth on track and needs to speed up market-opening reforms promised in a 2-year-old development plan. In some areas, the ruling Communist Party is moving backward on reform pledges by reducing …
Read More »Puerto Rico tutoring agency charged in nearly $1M federal fraud case
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Officials with a U.S. company that provides tutoring services at public schools in Puerto Rico have been charged in a nearly $1 million fraud case involving federal funds, authorities said Thursday. U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodriguez said 31 directors and program managers at Rocket Learning …
Read More »NATO country reports drones over largest military base after airport attack, mulls response
Denmark on Saturday reported more mysterious drone sightings — this time over military installations, including its largest military base — after incursions at airports grounded flights this week. The NATO country is still mulling how to respond. Denmark’s Armed Forces reported that more drones were observed overnight, according to Reuters. …
Read More »Angel parents call for Trump to receive Nobel Peace Prize for border security efforts
EXCLUSIVE — Dozens of Angel parents and families of fentanyl victims are calling for President Donald Trump to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, pointing to his unprecedented efforts to combat drug cartels, human trafficking and illegal immigration. In a letter sent Thursday to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, members of …
Read More »Newly elected German mayor fights for life after stabbing attack
The recently elected mayor of a town in western Germany was in critical condition on Tuesday after she was found in her home with multiple stab wounds to her neck and abdomen. Iris Stalzer, 57, a center-left Social Democrat who secured her mayor-elect standing late last month, dragged herself into …
Read More »UK warns Palestinian protest group to stand down after synagogue attack: 'Respect the grief of British Jews'
The United Kingdom’s government and police urged organizers of a planned anti-Israel protest to cancel the event following this week’s deadly synagogue attack, saying demonstrators should “respect the grief of British Jews.” “I know that planned protests over the weekend, just a few days before the anniversary of the October …
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