In face of Ghouta defeat, Syrian rebels blame each other
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian rebel factions are blaming each other for opening the way to their defeat near Damascus, underlining splits that plagued the armed uprising against President Bashar al-Assad since its earliest days.
Irish deputy PM drops resistance to easing of abortion law
DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland’s deputy premier has dropped his opposition to a government proposal allowing abortions up to 12 weeks into a pregnancy if a referendum to loosen legal curbs and hand parliament the power to legislate is passed in May.
North Korea urges U.S. to adopt ‘serious attitude’ for peace, end sanctions
GENEVA (Reuters) – North Korea said on Monday its policy of seeking better ties with the South was enjoying broad international support, and called on the United States to halt its sanctions and pressure.
Puigdemont arrest leaves Catalan independence movement on the ropes
MADRID/BERLIN (Reuters) – A German court said on Monday it was likely to take several days to decide whether to extradite former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont to Spain to face rebellion charges over the region’s campaign for independence.
Remove barriers to membership talks, Turkey tells EU before summit
ANKARA/VARNA, Bulgaria (Reuters) – Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan said he will seek the removal at a summit with the EU on Monday of all obstacles to a stalled membership bid, which the bloc however believes are of Ankara’s own making.
Trump expels 60 Russians, closes Seattle consulate after UK chemical attack: officials
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday ordered the expulsion of 60 Russians from the United States and closed the Russian consulate in Seattle over a nerve agent attack earlier this month in Britain, senior U.S. officials said.
Military man Sisi vows to safeguard Egypt’s security
CAIRO (Reuters) – When Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced he was standing for Egypt’s highest office four years ago he said it would be his last day in uniform, a pledge which symbolized his transition from military chief to president.
Investigators into fatal Russian mall fire say exits were blocked
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Investigators looking into a fire that killed at least 64 people at a busy shopping mall in the Siberian city of Kemerovo said on Monday that a security guard had turned off the fire alarm system and that exits had been illegally blo…
Barrage of missiles on Saudi Arabia ramps up Yemen war
RIYADH/SANAA (Reuters) – The Houthi movement that controls northern Yemen vowed on Monday to fire more missiles into Saudi Arabia unless it stops bombing the country, after one of its missiles caused casualties in the Saudi capital for the first time.
British Jews protest against Labour’s Corbyn over anti-Semitism
LONDON (Reuters) – British Jewish groups were planning a street protest outside parliament on Monday against opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, accusing him of failing to tackle anti-Semitism in party ranks because of a far-left world view h…
