INTERNATIONAL

Germany and several other nations are to discuss with Turkey ways of settling thousands of Syrian refugees ahead of the final EU summit of the year. Those attending the meeting will discuss a proposal to resettle Syrians straight from camps in Turkey. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the driving force behind the plans, faces resistance from other EU states. Thursday’s ...

Gunmen have kidnapped at least 27 Qatari hunters – including members of the ruling family – in a desert area of Iraq near the Saudi border, say police and the local governor. The attackers were driving dozens of four-wheel drive vehicles when they swept into the hunters’ camp at dawn on Wednesday, officials said. They struck near Layyah, 190km (118 ...

Shia Muslims are protesting in six northern Nigerian cities against a military crackdown they allege has left hundreds of their members dead. Many businesses have shut in Kaduna, one of the cities worst-affected by the demonstrations, a BBC reporter says. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani phoned his Nigerian counterpart, Muhammadu Buhari, about the crackdown. Nigeria’s military accuses the pro-Iranian sect of ...

Republican presidential hopefuls sparred over how to stop the so-called Islamic State (IS) in the first debate since attacks in California and Paris. The national security focus yielded heated exchanges between Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio who clashed on surveillance and immigration policy. Jeb Bush also sought to revive his struggling campaign by forcefully attacking front-runner Donald Trump. “You’re ...

The global nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, has closed a 12-year-long investigation into Iran’s nuclear activities – a key step towards lifting UN sanctions. The IAEA concluded Iran conducted nuclear weapons-related research until 2003 and to a lesser extent until 2009, but found no evidence of this since. A deal struck earlier this year with world powers to lift sanctions was ...

Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej has made a rare public appearance, amid concerns for his ailing health. In television footage released Monday by the palace he is seen swearing in judges at a Bangkok hospital where he has been staying. He has received treatment for a number of ailments including a lung infection. The health of the 88-year-old monarch is of ...

US Secretary of State John Kerry is in Moscow for talks to try to bridge gaps with Russia over the political process to end Syria’s civil war. He is due to have meetings with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The US and Russia have long disagreed on what role Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should play in the ...

The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has described the migrant crisis as “an historic test” for Europe. Defending her policy on migrants at the annual conference of her CDU party, Mrs Merkel said that Germany was standing by its humanitarian duties. But she said the flow of migrants would be reduced – a step that some members of the party have ...

South African President Jacob Zuma named his second finance minister in four days on Sunday, reappointing Pravin Gordhan following market turmoil that sent the rand to record lows and bond yields to the highest in seven years. Zuma sparked outrage and an investor exodus on Dec. 9, when he fired Nhlanhla Nene, who had held the post for about 18 ...

France’s far-right National Front (FN) has failed to win a single region in the second round of municipal elections. The party was beaten into third place, despite leading in six of 13 regions in the first round of voting on 6 December. Nicolas Sarkozy’s centre-right Republicans finished ahead of the ruling Socialists. Acknowledging defeat, FN leader Marine Le Pen pledged ...