Prime Minister Ali Larayedh said on Thursday that Tunisia is making progress in its bid to dismantle "terrorist" cells despite the presence in the country of armed groups and recent clashes with Islamists. More »Tunisia 'making progress' against terror groups
President Obama has celebrated Carole King at a concert held at the White House. More »President Obama Honours Singer Carole King
By Leigh Thomas and Jason Lange PARIS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The European Central Bank is looking into expanding its range of policy tools, while the U.S. central bank is mulling scaling back its support measures, highlighting the contrasting fortunes between the world's two biggest economic blocs. ECB Executive Board member Peter Praet said late on Wednesday that the central bank could try new policies if needed to battle deflation risks, adding that the central bank was also weighing measures to encourage more lending in the euro zone. ... More »ECB seeks new tools while Fed toys with exit
By John O'Donnell BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe's top regulatory official is seeking to force large companies to disclose how much tax they pay in each country where they operate, a measure some politicians say could curb tax avoidance. Michel Barnier, the European commissioner in charge of drafting business regulation, said in a speech in Amsterdam that rules which will force banks to report their profits, taxes and subsidies by country from 2015 should be extended to cover other companies. "We will expand these reporting obligations to large companies and groups," he said on Thursday. ... More »EU wants big companies to reveal national tax bills
BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Syrian opposition leader urged President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday to hand power to his deputy or his prime minister and then go abroad with 500 members of his entourage, without immunity from prosecution. Assad is likely to reject or ignore the 16-point peace plan proposed by Moaz Alkhatib, who resigned as head of the Western-backed opposition National Coalition in March, particularly given recent military gains by his forces against rebels. ... More »Assad foe tells Syrian leader to cede power to officials
By Matt Smith DUBAI (Reuters) - China's Huawei Technologies Co's Middle East revenue rose 18 percent to $2.08 billion in 2012 and the roll-out of 4G mobile networks and IT outsourcing will be among its main regional growth drivers, the firm said. The world's second-largest telecom equipment maker also expects Middle East telecom operators to prioritise improving network efficiency, Shi Yaohong, president of Huawei Middle East, told Reuters in an email. "Operators' shift toward software-defined networks, IT outsourcing and adoption of 4G ... ... More »Huawei's Middle East revenue rose 18 pct in 2012 - executive
KIEV (Reuters) - Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov backed down on Thursday from his order to revoke the official accreditation of a dozen local reporters after they displayed slogans at a cabinet meeting to protest against an attack on two colleagues. The dour 65-year-old reacted sharply on Wednesday when the reporters displayed slogans demanding an investigation into the beating of two reporters at a political rally last Saturday. ... More »Ukraine PM acts to patch up relations with media after clash
LEIPZIG, Germany (Reuters) - Europe must prioritise creating jobs and hope for its youth, French President Francois Hollande said on Thursday at an event in Germany celebrating the 150th anniversary of the German opposition Social Democrat (SPD) party. "Europe has been able to overcome financial instability, it has proven that no European member state would be left alone in difficult times," the Socialist president told German and European leaders gathered at an event in Leipzig in formerly communist eastern Germany. ... More »France's Hollande says Europe must prioritise creating jobs
By Edward Taylor FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank's bosses tried to convince sceptical shareholders at a lively annual meeting on Thursday that the bank was on the right track again after facing a host of legal problems. Co-chief Executives Anshu Jain and Juergen Fitschen, who took charge nearly a year ago, are trying to steer Germany's largest bank through a major restructuring and resolve its many legal issues. They are also trying to reshape the bank in the wake of the financial crisis for an industry with lower profit margins and higher regulatory costs. ... More »Deutsche bosses seek to win over sceptical shareholders
NIAMEY (Reuters) - At least 18 soldiers and four suspected Islamists were killed in a fierce gunbattle following a dawn car bomb attack at a barracks in the northern Niger town of Agadez, military sources and a local official said. "There are 18 soldiers and four attackers dead in Agadez," said one source. "One of the attackers has taken two or three soldiers hostage and is holed up in a house. We have him surrounded." (Reporting by Abdoulaye Massalatchi in Niamey and David Lewis in Bamako; Writing by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Andrew Roche) More »At least 18 soldiers, four Islamists killed in Niger - sources
By Catherine Bremer PARIS (Reuters) - Christine Lagarde has made her mark as International Monetary Fund chief by taking a firm yet pragmatic stance in the austerity-versus-growth debate raging as Europe struggles to pull itself out of a long crisis. Lagarde, who was quizzed by a Paris magistrate on Thursday over a 2007 arbitration payment she made as French finance minister to settle a spat between the state and a businessman, was appointed IMF head in June 2011. ... More »IMF's Lagarde - a pragmatist in austerity debate
By Maya Dyakina MOSCOW (Reuters) - Just last year Russia's government reimposed a rule meant to restrain spending and borrowing and channel substantial amounts of the country's energy revenues into its wealth fund. But the economy is weakening and budget discipline is already slipping. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov's inability to hold the line, in contrast to his predecessor Alexei Kudrin, does not spell immediate disaster for Russia, which is running a small fiscal deficit and has minimal debts. ... More »Russia's commitment to new budget rule already in doubt
Longer-term commitment to renewable energy will pay off for ministers unless the world rejects emissions reduction efforts completely, government advisers have found. More »Gas prices could push renewable savings to £100bn
China has offered to send more than 500 soldiers to the UN force seeking to contain Islamist militants in Mali in what would be its biggest contribution to UN peacekeeping, diplomats said. More »China offers 500 troops for UN Mali force
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility on Thursday for a bomb that killed 11 security personnel and two civilians in the southwestern city of Quetta. Sixteen people were wounded in the attack in the capital of Baluchistan province, and the death toll could rise, police said. The bomb was planted in a three-wheeled auto-rickshaw and blew up as a truck carrying the security men passed by. "We proudly claim responsibility for Thursday's blast in Quetta and the target was local police. ... More »Taliban claim bomb in southwest Pakistan that kills 13
Anti-terror police investigating the "barbaric" murder of a soldier in London have searched a property 150 miles away in Lincolnshire. More »Soldier-attack police raid home
David Cameron quashed rumours of a possible revival of the snoopers' charter today, after he told reporters there would be no "knee-jerk" response to the suspected terror attack in Woolwich. More »Cameron steadies the ship: 'No knee jerk response' to Woolwich terror
By Mark Elkington MADRID (Reuters) - The adorning of Barcelona's famous statue of Christopher Columbus with a giant replica of the team's new shirt design has helped wind up their derby rivals Espanyol for Sunday's clash at Cornella-El Prat. The champions, with 94 points, are looking to match Real Madrid's record La Liga mark of 100 achieved last season, and have to win their remaining two games away this weekend and at home to Malaga on June 1. ... More »Espanyol seek help from pigeons for city derby
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Iran's expansion of sensitive nuclear activity breaks United Nations resolutions and increases concerns about whether its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful, the European Union said on Thursday. A U.N. nuclear agency report released on Wednesday showed Iran was expanding nuclear activities, in clear violation of resolutions of both the U.N. Security Council and of the board of the world body's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the EU said. ... More »U.N. report stokes concern over Iran's nuclear programme - EU
By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Lufthansa , United Airlines , Continental and Air Canada won approval from EU antitrust regulators on Thursday for their transatlantic tie-up after agreeing to give up airport slots in Frankfurt and New York. The four airlines' revenue-sharing, pricing and capacity pacts triggered an investigation by European Commission regulators four years ago, over concerns that these may result in higher prices for premium passengers. ... More »Lufthansa, United win EU approval for revenue-sharing pact
LONDON (Reuters) - One of the attackers who hacked a soldier to death in London was British-born and of Nigerian descent, a source with knowledge of the investigation said. The other man may also be British with a Nigerian background, the source told Reuters. British media identified one of the men as Michael Adebolajo, citing police sources. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge) More »London attacker was British-born of Nigerian descent - source
GPs' leaders are engaging in a bitter exchange of insults with health secretary Jeremy Hunt today, as relations between the government and health professionals reaches a new low. More »Furious GPs lock stethoscopes with critical Hunt
A cross-dressing spy arrested in Madrid, an attempt to cover up leaked news about the abdication of King Edward V111 and Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin bonding over a ‘sucking pig and innumerable bottles’. More »The spy who crossdressed, Churchill's boozy meeting with Stalin, and King Edward VIII's phone bugged - secrets revealed
By Marcus George and Yeganeh Torbati DUBAI (Reuters) - Former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has accused Iran's leadership of incompetence and ignorance just days after he was barred from standing in an election next month, the opposition Kaleme website reported on Thursday. Rafsanjani's comments appeared to add to the political conflict between those loyal to the leadership and opposition groups who have been marginalised since post-election unrest in 2009. ... More »Barred from poll, Rafsanjani calls Iranian leaders ignorant
Net immigration registered a sharp fall in the 12 months to September 2012, figures released today show, with much of the drop due to falling student numbers. More »Immigration falls - but drop could prove deceptive