Tag Archives: World

PARIS – France’s Constitutional Council has ruled that a bill legalizing broad surveillance of terrorism suspects doesn’t violate the country’s constitution. Friday’s decision was the final step before the law can come into effect. The bill was proposed long before the January attacks in Paris by Islamic extremists, but the …

BUDAPEST, Hungary – The Hungarian government says it will complete by Aug. 31 the construction of a fence meant to stop the flow of immigrants and refugees entering through its southern border with Serbia. Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said that Interior Minister Sandor Pinter assured the Cabinet at its meeting …

LONDON – The widow of murdered Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko thinks the Russian government may have been involved in the murder of leading opposition figure Boris Nemtsov. Marina Litvinenko told BBC Radio on Sunday she thinks Nemtsov’s slaying Friday night in Moscow seems to have been the Russian government’s way …

PARIS – President Francois Hollande will travel to Cuba in May in the first such trip by a French head of state. The visit comes as President Barack Obama is increasing U.S. ties with Cuba, and the Caribbean island is gradually opening up after decades of communist rule. Hollande’s office …

DAVOS, Switzerland – Germany’s finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, has denied reports that the country has modelled a potential Greek exit — the so-called “Grexit” — from the 19-country eurozone. Speaking at a panel Friday at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos, Schaeuble said “we don’t model …

BUCHANAN, Liberia – On paper, the pitch was simple: A green energy company backed by $217 million in U.S. government loans would convert one of Africa’s poorest countries into the world’s first biomass-driven economy. But the plan to help Liberia collapsed amid questionable business decisions and oversight. The company, Buchanan …

EL-ARISH, Egypt – An Egyptian army official says an armored military vehicle struck a roadside bomb during a raid on militant hideouts in northern Sinai Peninsula and the explosion killed one officer and wounded another. The official says Thursday’s bombing took place in the town of Sheik Zweid. No one …

TORONTO – Canada says it will issue a passport to Al-Jazeera English journalist Mohamed Fahmy, who remains in Egypt on bail while awaiting trial on terror charges. Kevin Menard, a spokesman for Canada’s immigration minister, said Monday they are “now in a position to issue Mr. Fahmy a passport despite …

MADRID – Spanish officials say police have busted a drug-dealing gang and arrested 11 people on suspicion of trafficking in narcotics in northern region of Rioja. Alberto Breton, a regional Interior Ministry spokesman, said the suspects were part of an organization based in the city of Logrono made up of …

ATHENS, Greece – The Greek coast guard is searching for a boat believed to be carrying 45 migrants and to have run into trouble south of the small Ionian island of Antipaxoi, off the western coast of mainland Greece. Two coast guard boats, a helicopter and one more boat sailing …