Syrian rebels, Shi’ite villagers evacuated from towns under swap deal
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Buses evacuated thousands of people from two rebel-besieged Shi’ite villages in northwest Syria on Friday and hundreds of rebels left a town near Damascus with their families, under a deal between the government and insurgents.
Vice President Pence heads to Seoul as North Korea tensions flare
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will travel to South Korea on Sunday in what his aides said was a sign of the U.S. commitment to its ally in the face of rising tensions over North Korea’s nuclear program.
Lavrov says Russia, U.S. agree U.S. strikes on Syria should not be repeated: Interfax
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia and the United States have a shared understanding that U.S. air strikes on Syria should not be repeated, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moualem in Moscow on Thursday, Interfax news …
China’s Hebei vows to learn lessons from new graft probe
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – The Communist Party in China’s smog-hit Hebei province said it will “learn lessons” after one of its highest-ranking officials was placed under investigation for serious disciplinary violations, which usually serves as a code for c…
Brazil’s Temer agrees to pension bill changes amid corruption probe
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian President Michel Temer has agreed to make further changes to a landmark pension reform amid fears that a corruption investigation into dozens of politicians could paralyze Congress, a senior lawmaker said on Thursday.
CIA chief calls WikiLeaks a ‘hostile intelligence service’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – CIA Director Mike Pompeo on Thursday called WikiLeaks a “hostile intelligence service,” using his first public speech as spy agency chief to denounce leakers who have plagued U.S. intelligence.
Trump says North Korea problem ‘will be taken care of’
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Pyongyang is a problem that “will be taken care of,” as speculation rose that North Korea might be on the verge of a sixth nuclear test.
Saudi banks, bin Laden companies face $4.2 billion U.S. lawsuit by 9/11 insurers
NEW YORK/RIYADH (Reuters) – More than two dozen U.S. insurers affiliated with Travelers Cos have sued two Saudi banks, companies affiliated with Osama bin Laden’s family, and several charities for at least $4.2 billion over the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks….
U.S. sanctions brother of Iran’s Quds force commander: White House
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States on Thursday sanctioned Sohrab Soleimani, the brother of the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, for his role in abuses in Iranian prisons.
Erdogan and Putin back investigation into Syria chemical attack
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Thursday to support an investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons into the chemical weapons attack in Syria last week, Tur…
