Malaysia mulls naval upgrades amid IS threat, South China Sea standoff
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia is gunning for a revamp of its aging naval fleet, as countries in the region prepare to face threats from the influx of Islamic State (IS) militants fleeing Mosul, and from rising tensions in the South China Sea.
Exclusive: Syrian Kurdish YPG aims to expand force to over 100,000
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian Kurdish YPG militia aims to expand its force by about two-thirds to more than 100,000 fighters this year, it told Reuters, a plan that would strengthen autonomous Kurdish enclaves that are of deep concern to neighboring Tu…
U.S.-allied Kurd militia says struck Syria base deal with Russia
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said Russia was setting up a military base in northwestern Syria under a bilateral agreement and will help train its fighters – a step that would anger Turkey as it tries to block Kurdish gains near its…
Plane crashes at South Sudan airport, several people injured: aid workers
JUBA (Reuters) – A plane belonging to a small South Sudanese airline crash-landed at the airport of the northwestern town of Wau on Monday, injuring several passengers, local aid workers said.
Anger and frustration in Kurdish southeast to shape Turkey’s referendum
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) – Thronged with shoppers and men sipping tea on a warm day in early spring, the main streets of Turkey’s Diyarbakir show few signs of the devastation wrought by months of fighting last year between Kurdish militants and sec…
New U.S.-led force to deter Russia in Poland from April
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A U.S.-led battalion of more than 1,100 soldiers will be deployed in Poland from the start of April, a U.S. commander said on Monday, as the alliance sets up a new force in response to Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Pope asks forgiveness for Church role in Rwanda genocide
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis asked on Monday for forgiveness for the “sins and failings of the Church and its members” during Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, saying the violence had “disfigured the face” of the Roman Catholic Church.
After Saudi king, China warmly welcomes Israel’s prime minister
BEIJING (Reuters) – China welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday just days after hosting Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and the signing of deals worth as much as $65 billion with Riyadh, as China steps up its tentative engagement wit…
Britain’s May to launch EU divorce proceedings on March 29
LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Prime Minister Theresa May will trigger Britain’s divorce proceedings with the European Union on March 29, launching two years of negotiations that will reshape the future of the country and Europe.
Ousted South Korea leader Park turns to loyalists for defense
SEOUL (Reuters) – A lawyer known as her “bullet-proof vest” is on former South Korean president Park Geun-hye’s legal team. So are two failed candidates for parliament from her ruling party.
