Germany Expels Four Syrian Embassy Diplomats After Spy Charges

The German government said it was expelling four Syrian diplomats, escalating a standoff after this week’s arrest of two men suspected of spying for Syrian intelligence on opposition groups active in Germany. (more…)

Germany arrests 2 alleged Syrian spies

Two men suspected of spying on Syrian opposition groups in Germany were arrested in Berlin Tuesday, authorities said. (more…)

After Homs massacre, protests erupt on several continents

A wave of protests broke out at Syrian embassies on several continents amid reports of hundreds of deaths in one Syrian city and hours before a possible U.N. Security Council vote on a response to the violent crackdown in the country. Here’s a breakdown of some of the demonstrations Friday and Saturday: (more…)

9 EU countries downgraded on black Friday 13th

Standard & Poor’s downgraded the credit ratings of nine euro zone countries, stripping France and Austria of their coveted triple-A status but not EU paymaster Germany, in a Black Friday 13th for the troubled single currency area. (more…)

France downgraded, other Euro Zone counties would be hit

Standard & Poor’s has downgraded France’s credit rating, French TV reported Friday, while several other euro zone countries face the same fate later in the day, according to reports.

Germany and the Netherlands aren’t among those facing a downgrade, a senior euro zone government source told Reuters. Another source confirmed “several” countries would be hit. (more…)

Owner of a dairy plant kidnapped in Lebanon

Ahmed Zeidan, the owner of Liban Lait, one of the largest dairy companies in Lebanon was kidnapped by gunmen at gunpoint in Talia a Bekaa town in Eastern Lebanon , National News Agency ( NNA) reported.

The five gunmen reportedly forced the owner of Liban Lait, (more…)

Germany probes if Iran pondering attacks on US targets, report

German media are reporting that prosecutors are investigating suspicions that Iran might be planning attacks on American targets in the country. (more…)

EU powers to circulate UN Syria draft resolution

Britain, France, Germany and Portugal soon plan to circulate a new draft U.N. resolution condemning Syria that drops calls for immediate sanctions against Damascus, diplomats said on Tuesday. (more…)

Reports: Shots fired near open-air papal Mass in Germany

Facing discontent within his German flock, Pope Benedict XVI made a gesture by meeting with victims of clerical sex abuse as he called for Roman Catholics in the former communist East to rediscover their faith.

An estimated 30,000 people gathered Saturday before dawn in the cobblestone square beneath the soaring spires of Erfurt’s medieval cathedral for an open-air Mass (more…)

E. coli outbreaks in Europe linked to Egyptian seeds

E. coli outbreaks in Germany and France could have come from seeds sourced in Egypt, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has said.

A report said there was still “much uncertainty”, but fenugreek seeds imported in 2009 and 2010 “had been implicated in both outbreaks”. (more…)