Revived U.S. travel ban sows confusion, anger in Middle East
ANKARA/KHARTOUM (Reuters) – A U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing partial implementation of President Donald Trump’s travel ban has stirred anger and confusion in parts of the Middle East, with would-be visitors worried about their travel plans and t…
U.S. says its warning appears to have averted Syrian chemical attack
BRUSSELS/ISTANBUL (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Wednesday that the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad appeared so far to have heeded a warning this week from Washington not to carry out a chemical weapons attack.
South Sudan deports three U.S. citizens who served in military
MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) – South Sudan has deported three U.S. citizens, two of whom served in the military and a third who deserted, U.S. and South Sudanese officials said on Wednesday, another chapter in an unusual tale of unofficial foreign interve…
Chinese reporters say blocked from Sichuan landslide coverage
XINMO, China (Reuters) – Several Chinese journalists say they were pulled off reporting on the weekend’s landslide in Sichuan on government orders as part of what they called increasing curbs on coverage of natural disasters under President Xi Jinping…
Death toll in London tower block fire rises to 80: police
LONDON (Reuters) – British police believe 80 people died or are missing presumed dead after the Grenfell Tower blaze two weeks ago, but it will be many months before the full death toll is known, the officer leading the investigation said on Wednesday….
Islamic State turned on dissenters as Raqqa assault neared
AIN ISSA, Syria (Reuters) – Islamic State’s leaders used spies to root out suspected enemies in their ranks in the countdown to this month’s U.S.-led attack on their de-facto capital Raqqa, the wives of three Tunisian fighters who fled the Syrian town …
Hong Kong protesters arrested for democracy protest ahead of Xi’s visit
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong police on Wednesday arrested pro-democracy protesters, some of whom scrambled up a monument symbolizing the city’s handover from British to Chinese rule, a day before Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to arrive for the…
Iraqi military pushes deeper into Mosul’s Old City
MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraq’s military pushed deeper into Mosul’s Old City on Wednesday, taking two more districts from Islamic State and bringing it closer to total control of the city.
U.S.-led coalition envoy visits Syria to discuss Raqqa aftermath
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Brett McGurk, the U.S. special envoy to the coalition against Islamic State visited north Syria on Wednesday and met the council planning to run Raqqa after its capture from the jihadists to assure it of support, one of its members s…
North Korea calls for execution of ex-South Korea leader over ‘assassination’ plot
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea said on Wednesday it has issued a standing order for the execution of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her spy chief for what it said was a plot to assassinate its leader, and it demanded that the South hand…
