China defends its right to ‘ready slingshot’ in South China Sea
BEIJING (Reuters) – China defended its right on Thursday to put “necessary military installations” on artificial islands in the South China Sea, after a U.S. think-tank said Beijing appeared to have deployed weapons such as anti-aircraft and anti-missi…
Freed from Mosul, Iraqi brothers carry scars of Islamic State rule
AL-DHIBANIYAH, Iraq (Reuters) – His right arm strapped with a tourniquet and numbed by anaesthetic, Azad Hassan sat before the crowd waiting for Islamic State militants to chop off his hand as a punishment.
Gulf states rebuke Assad over violence in Aleppo
CAIRO (Reuters) – Gulf Arab countries condemned the Syrian government’s handling of a ceasefire and evacuation in Aleppo and called on Thursday for civilians trying to flee the war-torn city to be protected.
Hatred spills beyond South Sudan along with refugees
BIDI BIDI, Uganda (Reuters) – Besides bags, blankets and tales of horror, some of the thousands of refugees fleeing South Sudan’s civil war each day carry something else – the ethnic hatred the United Nations says is “fertile ground” for genocide.
‘Tiger’ Israel has wary eye on Iran after Syrian rebels lose Aleppo
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The fall of Aleppo to Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran has heightened alarm in Israel about potential threats to its borders and a wider reshaping of the region.
Congo braces for unrest as president’s mandate expires
KINSHASA (Reuters) – When protests erupt in Kinshasa, Congo’s sprawling riverside capital, politicians usually trot out the adage that they won’t last more than a couple days because people need to find food for their families.
Suspected Russian mercenary leader attended Kremlin reception
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A man identified as a Russian mercenary leader in Ukraine and Syria by an authoritative website attended a Kremlin reception earlier this month, Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said on Thursday, raising questions about the man’s links to …
EU parliament warns talks plan risks Brexit deal veto
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Parliament could block a Brexit deal for Britain if EU leaders exclude lawmakers from the negotiating process, its outgoing speaker warned on Thursday as the legislature pushes for a bigger role in the talks.
Reuters witness: evacuation begins from rebel-held Aleppo area
ALEPPO, Syria (Reuters) – At least 17 buses and 10 ambulances drove out of the rebel-held part of Aleppo on Thursday, a Reuters reporter in the city said, carrying people being evacuated as part of a ceasefire deal.
Russia says talks with U.S. over Aleppo suspended: TASS
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia and the United States have suspended talks on ways to resolve the crisis in Syria’s largest city of Aleppo, TASS news agency cited a Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Thursday.
