News about politics
Greece in 'final stretch' of talks: Varoufakis
Crisis-hit Greece is in the "final stretch" of negotiations with creditors and could reach agreement shortly, Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis indicated.
24 June 2015
Turkish sculptor faces jail for 'insulting' Erdogan
A prominent Turkish sculptor risks over four years in prison on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after being locked in a dispute with the Turkish strongman over one of his works.
24 June 2015
Iran leader restates 'red lines' for nuclear deal
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei restated his country's red lines for a nuclear deal in a dramatic intervention during a meeting with President Hassan Rouhani and top officials.
24 June 2015
Austria to file EU complaint against UK nuclear plant
Austria will next week officially file a legal complaint in Brussels against state subsidies for Britain's planned new Hinkley Point nuclear power plant.
24 June 2015
Hungary suspends key EU asylum claim rule
Hungary has indefinitely suspended the application of a key EU asylum rule, which requires a migrant's claim to be processed in the EU country they first arrive in.
24 June 2015
'Still a lot do on Greece': French PM
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said that there is "still a lot of work to do" if Greece and its creditors are to reach an agreement to avert a possible default.
24 June 2015
In a while crocodile: safaris yet to be snapped up by Australia
Australia's top official on indigenous issues said crocodile safaris should be used to help fund impoverished Aboriginal communities.
23 June 2015
Japan announces dates for G7 summit in 2016
Japan will host a summit of the Group of Seven industrial democracies on May 26-27 next year, its top government spokesman said.
23 June 2015
EU launches Mediterranean migrant military mission
EU foreign ministers formally approved the launch of the first phase of a military operation to target people smugglers in the Mediterranean.
23 June 2015
New Eurogroup meeting on Greece Wednesday: EU's Tusk
Eurozone finance ministers will meet again in a bid to reach a final bailout deal for Greece ahead of an EU leaders' summit the following day.
23 June 2015
EU prolongs Russian economic sanctions for six months: official
EU foreign ministers formally agreed to prolong to January 2016 damaging economic sanctions against Russia to ensure it fully implements Ukraine peace accords.
22 June 2015
Faith, freedom and firebombs: Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai
As one of Hong Kong's most outspoken democracy advocates, media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been on the receiving end of everything from rotten animal entrails to Molotov cocktails in the past 12 months.
22 June 2015
Athens says Europe 'doesn't need IMF' on eve of crunch summit
Greece does not want any more help from the IMF, minister of state Nikos Pappas said on the eve of a summit.
22 June 2015
Hollande already in campaign mode two years ahead of election
His ratings are still in the doldrums and the economy is still stagnant, yet French President Francois Hollande looks ever more determined to run for re-election two years from now.
22 June 2015
Strident Obama says gun control laws will change
US President Barack Obama voiced confidence that a "shocked and heartbroken" nation would eventually tighten permissive gun laws.
20 June 2015
Russia 'open to world', will continue cooperation with West: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country was open to the world and would cooperate with the West despite persistent tensions over the Ukraine crisis.
20 June 2015
Russia warns of retaliation for Yukos overseas asset freeze
Moscow warned that state-linked foreign firms in Russia could be targeted for retaliation to the freezing of Russian official assets in Western Europe over legal claims from former Yukos shareholders.
20 June 2015
Grexit 'beginning of the end of the eurozone': Greek PM
A Greek exit from the eurozone would be the beginning of the end of the single currency, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was quoted.
19 June 2015
EU to extend Russia sanctions to January 2016
EU member states agreed to extend damaging economic sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis by another six months to the end of January 2016.
19 June 2015
NATO flexes muscles in Poland war games
NATO flexed its muscles in Poland during the first full drill of its new spearhead force, a structure designed to boost security on its eastern flank.
19 June 2015