Exclusive: EgyptAir mechanic suspected in Russian plane crash
LONDON (Reuters) – An EgyptAir mechanic whose cousin joined Islamic State in Syria is suspected of planting a bomb on a Russian passenger plane that was blown out of Egypt’s skies in late October, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Syrian rebel splits deepen after failed ‘merger’ with al Qaeda arm
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The leader of al Qaeda’s Syrian wing tried unsuccessfully at a recent meeting to convince rival Islamist factions to merge into one unit, several insurgency sources have told Reuters.
Syrian rebel group says merges with others to boost Aleppo fight
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A Syrian insurgent group said on Friday it had merged with a number of other rebel groups around Aleppo province to become a stronger fighting force in the country’s five-year-old civil war.
Group said trapped in cellar become focus in Turkey’s Kurdish conflict
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and the pro-Kurdish opposition traded blame on Friday over the fate of more than 20 people it says have been trapped for a week in a cellar in a southeastern town as fighting rages between security …
Kerry says he expects Canada to outline role against Islamic State
QUEBEC CITY (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday he expects Canada to announce in the coming weeks what role it will play in an international coalition fighting Islamic State forces in Syria and Iraq.
Cameron plays hard to get as EU pushes reform offer
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – David Cameron told Brussels on Friday that a proposed “emergency brake” to curb European immigration to Britain was “not good enough” but he saw progress on a deal to persuade British voters to back continued EU membership.
France to recognise Palestinian state unless deadlock with Israel broken
PARIS (Reuters) – France will recognise a Palestinian state if a final push that Paris plans to lead for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians fails, its foreign minister said on Friday.
Syrian opposition to go to Geneva as peace talks open
GENEVA/BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syria’s main opposition group agreed to travel to Geneva, where the United Nations on Friday opened peace talks to end the country’s five-year-old war, but said it wanted to discuss humanitarian issues before engaging in polit…
Forty percent of Germans say Merkel should resign over refugee policy: poll
BERLIN (Reuters) – Forty percent of Germans want Chancellor Angela Merkel to resign over her refugee policy, a poll showed on Friday, in a sign of rising dissatisfaction with her welcoming stance towards people fleeing conflict and economic hardship in…
Islamic State suicide bomber kills two at checkpoint in Yemen’s Aden
ADEN (Reuters) – Two people were killed and five wounded in a suicide car bomb attack on a police checkpoint in Yemen’s southern city of Aden on Friday, the latest in a spate of deadly attacks by Islamic State militants.
