Hezbollah, other Shi’ite allies helped Assad win in Aleppo
By Tom Perry, Laila Bassam, Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Tom Miles
Colombia’s FARC rebels expel five commanders opposed to peace deal
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s FARC rebels have expelled five commanders for refusing to demobilize and join a peace process with the government aimed at ending more than five decades of war, guerrilla leadership said.
Syria’s Assad: Trump can be our natural ally
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with Russian state television that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could become a natural ally to Damascus if he shows he is sincere about fighting terrorism.
Italian PM wins Senate confidence vote-count by ruling PD party
ROME (Reuters) – Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni won a confidence vote in the upper house Senate on Wednesday, allowing his coalition government to take office.
Putin’s barking dog take center stage at media interview
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Ahead of his visit to Japan later this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin brought his dog Yume into an interview with Japanese journalists, and the large Akita breed made sure she as well as her master were well heard.
U.N. envoy says Gambia’s Jammeh must leave power by January 19
DAKAR (Reuters) – The United Nations Special Representative for West Africa said on Wednesday that Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh would be “strongly sanctioned” if he sought to remain in power after his mandate ends next month.
May’s Brexit plan – secret strategy or muddle?
LONDON (Reuters) – If Prime Minister Theresa May has a detailed Brexit plan, it is very secret.
Flight MH370 families urge Mauritians to be on alert for debris
PORT LOUIS (Reuters) – Relatives of victims of a Malaysian Airlines flight that vanished in 2014 urged the people of Mauritius on Wednesday to be on lookout for plane debris that might wash ashore in the Indian Ocean island state and hand in anything t…
Ukraine security chief calls for better cyber defence against Russia
KIEV (Reuters) – A Ukrainian security chief said on Wednesday Ukraine needed to beef up its cyber defences, citing a recent spate of attacks on government websites that he said originated in Russia.
Germany expects consensus for Russia sanctions extension at EU summit
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany expects a consensus at an EU summit on Thursday for extending economic sanctions against Russia by six months for its intervention in Ukraine, a senior German official said.
