Syrian refugees should return to calmer areas: Lebanon president
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanon can no longer handle vast numbers of Syrian refugees, its president said on Monday, urging world powers to help them return to the calmer parts of their war-torn homeland.
Iraqi forces seize oil city Kirkuk from Kurds in bold advance
BAGHDAD/KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraqi government forces captured the major Kurdish-held oil city of Kirkuk on Monday, responding to a Kurdish referendum on independence with a bold lightning strike that transforms the balance of power in the country.
U.S.-backed forces in final push against Islamic State Raqqa
RAQQA, Syria (Reuters) – U.S.-backed militias battled foreign fighters defending the last pocket of Islamic State’s one-time Syrian capital of Raqqa on Monday, bringing their four-month offensive for the city to the brink of victory.
South Sudan opposition groups meet in Kenya to ‘harmonize voices’
KAMPALA (Reuters) – South Sudanese opposition groups tried to forge a united front on Monday ahead of an expected resumption of peace talks, in the first such meeting since the start of their country’s civil war nearly four years ago, attendees told Re…
Kosovo urges U.S. involvement in Belgrade, Pristina talks
PRISTINA (Reuters) – Kosovo’s newly appointed prime minister, Ramuch Haradinaj, on Monday urged the United States, his country’s main ally, to become involved in EU-sponsored talks between Kosovo and Serbia aimed at settling their differences.
EU demands ‘expensive dinner’ with May to unlock Brexit talks
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Prime Minister Theresa May is unlikely to offer new concessions to Brussels over the terms of Britain’s divorce from the European Union when she meets European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker over dinner on Monday, her spokesm…
From Haider to Strache – the FPO’s march to respectability in Austria
VIENNA (Reuters) – Founded by former Nazis six decades ago, Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPO) long ago left the political fringes to establish itself as a mainstream party that could now return to power following a strong showing in Sunday’s elec…
Significant gaps remain in bid to restore Northern Irish power-sharing: UK PM May’s office
LONDON (Reuters) – Significant gaps still remain between parties attempting to restore Northern Ireland’s power-sharing administration, British Prime Minister Theresa May’s office said on Monday after she spoke with Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar.
EU imposes oil embargo on North Korea in symbolic gesture
LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) – The European Union banned the sale of oil and oil products to North Korea on Monday, in a largely symbolic move aimed at encouraging countries that have more significant levels of trade with the country to follow suit.
Turkey should close its air space to Northern Iraq, security council tells government
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s national security council on Monday advised the government to close its air space to Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region and have Baghdad take control of the Iraqi side of its main border crossing.
