Thousands of civilians, fighters waiting to leave Aleppo: rebels
AMMAN (Reuters) – Thousands of rebels and fighters were still waiting on Thursday to be evacuated from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo but harsh weather was complicating the final phase of the operation, a rebel spokesman said.
China dismisses Taiwan ‘dollar diplomacy’ claims over Sao Tome
BEIJING (Reuters) – China on Thursday dismissed accusations from Taiwan that it engaged in “dollar diplomacy” to get Sao Tome and Principe to ditch ties with the self-ruled island, saying a petty Taiwan was besmirching China’s good name.
Russia lays to rest murdered Turkey envoy with full honors
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia staged a somber memorial ceremony on Thursday for Andrei Karlov, the Russian ambassador to Turkey gunned down in Ankara on Monday by a man shouting “Allahu Akbar” and “Don’t forget Aleppo”.
China court exonerates four in latest overturned sentence
BEIJING (Reuters) – A court in China on Thursday exonerated four men who had been originally sentenced to death for rape and murder, in the latest case of courts overturning dubious verdicts.
Aid workers killed in mortar attacks in Mosul, U.N. says
ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) – Four Iraqi aid workers and at least seven civilians were killed by mortar fire this week during aid distribution in Mosul, the United Nations said, as the campaign to retake the city from Islamic State continued to make slow and…
Serbia seeks stronger ties with Russia in balancing act with EU
BELGRADE (Reuters) – Serbia wants closer military cooperation with Russia, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said during a visit to Moscow, where he also stressed Belgrade’s neutrality in an attempt to balance a historic relationship with a push to join …
China military to hold secret anti-graft inspections over holidays
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s armed forces will carry out secret inspections over the new year holidays, both Western and lunar, to ensure orders against corruption are being followed, the defense ministry said on Thursday.
Exclusive – Japan seeks to win Thai air defense radar contract: sources
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan is seeking to win a contract to supply Thailand with an air defense radar system built by Mitsubishi Electric Corp, as it looks to counter growing Chinese influence in the Southeast Asian nation, according to four Japanese gover…
U.S. drone pilots defend tactics as Afghans question civilian toll
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) – They are speaking about the same deadly drone war that the United States has been waging this year, but talk to the U.S. military and Afghan civilians and their conclusions about who is targeted are often starkly diffe…
Can technology stop another truck attack?
LONDON (Reuters) – The attack on a Berlin Christmas market showed the devastation that can be wrought by the simple act of driving a truck into crowds, and the problems in preventing another massacre.
