Turkish PM under pressure as rift with Erdogan deepens
ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s drive to tighten his grip on power has triggered an open rift with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, raising questions about the premier’s future and troubling allies dependent on the NATO me…
Turkey will keep responding to rocket fire from Syria: Erdogan
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey will keep responding to rocket fire from Syria which hits the border town of Kilis, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, warning Islamic State would suffer greater losses if it keeps targeting the town.
China to carry out more military drills in South China Sea
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s military will carry out more military exercises in the South China Sea this month involving advanced warships and submarines, state news agency Xinhua said on Wednesday, terming the drills routine.
Islamic State seeks news blackout in Mosul as Iraqi army nears
MAKHMOUR, Iraq (Reuters) – For Iraqis living in the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul, news is dwindling about the U.S.-backed army massing to the south for an assault on the city that could begin this year.
French presidential election set for April 23 and May 7, 2017
PARIS (Reuters) – The two rounds of France’s 2017 presidential elections will take place on April 23 and May 7, the government announced on Wednesday.
U.N. peace talks on Yemen resume after three-day suspension: delegates
CAIRO (Reuters) – U.N.-backed peace talks to end Yemen’s civil war resumed on Wednesday after they were suspended by the Yemeni government for three days in protest at a Houthi assault on a military base near the capital Sanaa.
Maoists prompt Nepal crisis by announcing plans for new government
KATHMANDU (Reuters) – Nepal plunged into a new political crisis on Wednesday after the main Maoist party that props up the ruling coalition said it would form a new government, leaving Prime Minister K.P. Oli isolated and at imminent risk of losing pow…
Amid scandal, China military hospital closes doors to new patients
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – A Chinese military hospital, embroiled in a scandal over the death of a college student who had sought experimental cancer treatment at the facility, has temporarily closed its doors to new patients, state media reported on Wednesd…
North Korea hails anti-smoking progress; leader Kim keeps puffing
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea said on Wednesday a campaign was helping to cut the number of smokers, although its leader Kim Jong Un is frequently seen with a cigarette in hand in photographs in state media.
Turkey approves law among final hurdles for EU visa deal
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey’s parliament has approved a law on setting up a panel to monitor discipline for law enforcement officials, one of the last hurdles remaining before the country wins visa-free access to Europe for its nationals.
