'Terror attack' foiled in France

French police have foiled a terror attack on police and army personnel in the region of Orleans, the interior minister has said.
23 December 2015

Events that shaped the year: Refugee crisis places Europe in quandary

European Union leaders have held no less than five emergency summits but still, they keep on coming: by the time this year ends, Europe would have received at least 1.2 million refugees.
22 December 2015

Tough talks ahead after historic result

Spain's political parties are facing a struggle to form a stable government after a historic election that broke the traditional two-party dominance.
21 December 2015

Five things that are wrong with the world's best country

Is life in the world's nicest country all it's made out to be? Most of those surveyed, mainly Norwegians, said yes. But, for balance, here are some aspects of Norwegian life that don't tick everyone's boxes.
18 December 2015

IMF chief to stand trial over Tapie payout

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde was ordered yesterday to stand trial over her handling of a massive state payout to French tycoon Bernard Tapie when she was finance minister.
17 December 2015

Turkish forces kill 25 Kurdish militants

Turkish security forces have killed 25 Kurdish militants this week as they battle suspected members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) inside two
17 December 2015

German state shuts mosque for 'backing IS'

German authorities yesterday raided, shuttered and banned a Muslim association and mosque they accused of supporting the Islamic State jihadist group in
17 December 2015

Donald Trump 'outstanding, talented'

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday described US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump as "talented" and "outstanding," welcoming his stance on Russia.
17 December 2015

'Group's membership an indicator of extremism'

A British government review into Egypt's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood published on Thursday concluded that membership of or links to the political group should be considered a possible indicator of extremism but that it should not be banned.
17 December 2015

Teen punches Spainsh PM in face

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy suffered a scare Wednesday when a 17-year-old youth punched him in the face during a campaign appearance in his northwestern fiefdom of Galicia, breaking his glasses.
17 December 2015

UK PM eyes 'real progress'

Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday said he hoped talks with European Union leaders would provide "real progress" towards a deal on better membership terms for Britain before a vote on staying in the bloc.
17 December 2015

'No reconciliation'

Russia's Vladimir Putin subjected Turkey to a furious tirade yesterday, using barrack-room language to wonder aloud whether it had shot down a Russian warplane last month to curry favour with the United States. Addressing almost 1,400 reporters in a cavernous hall inside a Moscow conference centre, the Russian president dedicated a chunk of his annual news conference to spelling out why he saw no prospect of a rapprochement with Ankara.
17 December 2015

Turkey-Russia summit cancelled: Kremlin

Russia yesterday said a summit between President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan penciled in for December 15 had been
14 December 2015

Far-right fails to win a single region

France's far-right National Front (FN) might have failed to win a single region in elections but its high score ties the hands of the two main parties with presidential elections 16 months away, observers said yesterday.
14 December 2015

Germany will reduce migrant influx

German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday pledged to reduce a massive refugee influx but insisted on keeping the door open to the world's neediest, drawing a rousing standing ovation from her party.
14 December 2015

Western arms makers see sales fall, Russia rises

Arms manufacturers in North America and Western Europe dominated international arms sales in 2014, but their market share dropped while Russian and Asian companies saw theirs rise, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported yesterday.
14 December 2015

Teacher attacked by man 'shouting IS'

A teacher in a Paris suburb was attacked yesterday by a man wielding a box cutter and scissors who cited the Islamic State jihadist group, sources in the police and prosecutor's office said.
14 December 2015

Third Paris Bataclan gunman identified

French police have identified the third gunman from the deadly attack on the Bataclan concert hall in Paris, Prime Minister Manuel Valls
9 December 2015

Talks necessary with IS: Dalai Lama

The Islamic State (IS) group harms Islam through its intolerance, but "dialogue" with the jihadists is vital, the Dalai Lama said in an
7 December 2015

Climate talks shift from binding targets to 'name and shame'

It's clear at this point that even if the international climate accord being negotiated in suburban Paris becomes legally binding, it won't include punitive measures like trade sanctions or embargoes on straggler countries that fail to meet their commitments.
7 December 2015