Damascus warns Israel of ‘more surprises’ in Syria
DAMASCUS/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel will face “more surprises” should it again attack Syrian territory, Damascus said on Tuesday, after Syria’s air defenses shot down an advanced Israeli warplane during the fiercest flare-up between the old foes in 3…
Syrian government rejects U.N.-led committee to alter constitution
DAMASCUS (Reuters) – Syria’s government on Tuesday rejected efforts led by the United Nations to form a committee to rewrite Syria’s constitution, the main result of a peace congress among Syrian groups in Russia last month.
Malaysia further downgrading ties with North Korea a year after airport assassination: sources
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – One year after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s half-brother was assassinated at Kuala Lumpur’s airport, Malaysia is further downgrading once-close ties with Pyongyang, sources familiar with the government’s plans said.
Don’t take the president literally, aide says, after women deride ‘macho-fascist’ Duterte
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte should be taken seriously, but not literally, his spokesman said on Tuesday, after the controversial leader drew criticism for saying he once ordered soldiers to shoot female Maoist insurgents in …
Hong Kong court rules pro-independence stance must bar standing for election
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s High Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of barring a pro-independence activist from standing in an election, saying it is “fundamental” for lawmakers to accept the city as an inalienable part of China.
Russia accuses United States of undermining Syria integrity: RIA
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that in Syria the United States has been acting unilaterally in a “dangerous way”, undermining the country’s integrity, RIA news agency said.
Disgraced top China politician charged with bribery, another to be prosecuted
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese prosecutors have charged disgraced senior politician Sun Zhengcai with bribery, state media said on Tuesday, the latest development in a corruption probe into a man once considered a contender for top leadership.
Egypt police detain former anti-graft chief, family says
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian police on Tuesday detained former anti-corruption chief Hisham Genena, who had been helping run the election campaign of a challenger to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, his daughter said.
NATO chief backs bigger alliance training mission in Iraq
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that the alliance was ready to answer a U.S. call for NATO to expand its small training mission in Iraq to support reconstruction of the country after three years of war with …
Putin and Trump discussed North Korea by phone on Monday: Kremlin
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed North Korea by phone on Monday, but the discussion was not in-depth, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
