Jihadist group cements control of Syria’s Idlib province: rebels
AMMAN (Reuters) – Syrian jihadists linked to a former al Qaeda affiliate consolidated their grip over large parts of the northwestern province of Idlib on Sunday after their main rival evacuated a major border crossing with Turkey, rebels and residents…
Turkish police detain 61 protesters in Ankara
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish police detained 61 protesters in the capital Ankara on Sunday demonstrating in support of two teachers jailed two months ago for going on hunger strike, private broadcaster CNN Turk reported.
Mexico ruling party well behind upstart leftist in voter poll
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s ruling party is running in third place with less than a year to go before the next presidential election, well behind the new party of leftist hopeful Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, an opinion poll showed on Sunday.
Trump open to signing Russia sanctions legislation: official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said on Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump was open to signing legislation toughening sanctions on Russia after Senate and House leaders reached agreement on a bill late last week.
Merkel’s Bavarian ally signals open to tie-up with Greens after Sept vote
BERLIN (Reuters) – Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Bavarian ally has signaled it could back a coalition between their conservative bloc and the opposition Greens after a national election due in September.
As U.S. weighs Afghan strategy, hopes set on fledgling Air Force
KABUL (Reuters) – As the U.S. administration prepares its new strategy for Afghanistan, the Kabul government and its Western allies are working hard to develop an air force that gives government forces the advantage in their war against Taliban militan…
Erdogan visits Gulf in bid to defuse Qatar row
DUBAI (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on Sunday, the Gulf states’ official news agencies reported, as part of a diplomatic tour aimed at healing an Arab rift with Ankara’s ally Qatar.
Russia to blame for ‘hot war’ in Ukraine: U.S. special envoy
KIEV (Reuters) – Russian aggression is to blame for violence in eastern Ukraine, where people are dying in what should be seen as a “hot war” rather than a “frozen conflict”, the U.S. special envoy to the Ukraine peace talks said on a visit to Ukraine …
Germany must act now to stop re-run of refugee crisis, Merkel rival says
AACHEN, Germany (Reuters) – Germany needs to take action now to prevent a re-run of 2015, when some 890,000 migrants arrived in the country, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Social Democrat challenger for a September election told Reuters on Sunday.
Mali confirms arrest of key jihadist near Timbuktu
BAMAKO (Reuters) – Malian and French troops have arrested a close associate of a preacher whose jihadist group has claimed dozens of attacks against Western and Malian targets, Mali’s security minister said on Sunday.
