Venezuela’s presidential battle begins, Maduro favorite
CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s presidential election race has begun with favorite and incumbent Nicolas Maduro signaling a nationalist, “anti-Trump” campaign while his demoralized foes scramble to find a viable candidate for a vote they predict will b…
U.S.-backed Syria force denies Islamic State in area targeted by Turkey
ANKARA/BEIRUT (Reuters) – The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) rejected a Turkish army statement that Islamic State was present in the Afrin region of northwestern Syria, where Ankara launched an offensive four days ago which has raised inter…
Erdogan says Turkey will ‘thwart games’ along its borders, start in Syria’s Manbij
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey will “thwart games” along its border, starting with Syria’s Manbij region, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, as the Turkish military entered the fifth day of its incursion into northern Syria’s Afrin region.
Gunmen storm Save the Children aid group office in Afghanistan
JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Gunmen stormed an office of the Save the Children aid agency in Afghanistan’s eastern city of Jalalabad on Wednesday and battled security forces surrounding the building, with at least three people killed and 20 wound…
Britain seeking equivalence with EU regulation, not harmonisation: minister
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will not seek to harmonise its regulations with the European Union after leaving the bloc, but will aim instead for “outcome equivalence”, Brexit minister David Davis said on Wednesday.
Thailand charges nine in anti-government protests dating to 2013
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand on Wednesday charged nine leaders of anti-government protests in 2013 and 2014 with inciting insurrection and sedition in an attempt to oust Yingluck Shinawatra, who was prime minister at the time.
Syria says claims it uses chemical weapons ‘lies’
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian government said on Wednesday that claims by France and the United States that it was still using chemical weapons were “lies”.
Militants storm Save the Children aid group office in Afghanistan
JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Four gunmen stormed an office of the Save the Children aid agency in the Afghan city of Jalalabad on Wednesday and battled security forces who surrounded the building, killing at least one person and wounding 11, offi…
Philippine police to wear body cameras in war on drugs
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine police will soon have to wear body cameras during anti-narcotics operations and visit suspects’ homes only in the daytime, in an effort to erase doubts about the conduct of those on the front lines of a bloody war on drugs…
Qatar Airways to comply with TSA’s tougher cargo screening
DUBAI (Reuters) – Qatar Airways said on Wednesday it is in talks with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to comply with their request for their cargo to undergo enhanced screening.




