Wielding riches, Qatar seeks to deepen U.S. ties, protect regional clout
DOHA (Reuters) – Qatar is hoping big investment and trade deals with Washington will help restore its position as a Middle East power broker after charges of World Cup graft, labor abuse and links to militants damaged its standing.
Exclusive: Myanmar’s ousted ruling party head to work with Suu Kyi
PHYU, Myanmar (Reuters) – One of Myanmar’s most powerful politicians, ousted as leader of the ruling party in August, said Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition party was the most popular in the country and he would work with the Nobel laureate in parliament a…
Russia’s Syria force grows to 4,000, U.S. officials say
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Moscow’s military force in Syria has grown to about 4,000 personnel, but this and more than a month of Russian air strikes have not led to pro-government forces making significant territorial gains, U.S. security officials and in…
Crashed Russian plane may have been brought down by explosive device, UK says
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain said on Wednesday that the Russian plane that crashed in Egypt after taking off from Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh might have been brought down by an explosive device.
France ends law banning blood donation from gay men
PARIS (Reuters) – France has decided to end a more than 30-year-old law that banned gay men from donating blood, a measure originally put in place to stop the spread of diseases such as HIV.
South Sudan rivals boosting weapons stockpiles: U.N. experts
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Warring parties in South Sudan are expanding stockpiles of weapons and ammunition in violation of an August peace deal and President Salva Kiir risks fueling violence with plans to almost triple the number of states in the co…
India-born former soldier sworn in as Canada’s new defense minister
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Harjit Sajjan, a former police officer and veteran of three military deployments to Afghanistan, was named Canada’s new minister of defense on Wednesday, bringing first-hand expertise to one of the country’s top cabinet positions.
Bahrain says foils plans for attack by Iran-linked terrorist group
DUBAI (Reuters) – Bahrain said on Wednesday it had arrested 47 members of a group believed to have links to “terrorist elements in Iran” who it said were planning to carry out attacks in the coming days.
Islamic State affiliate in Egypt insists it brought down Russian plane
CAIRO (Reuters) – Islamic State’s Egyptian affiliate dismissed in an audio message on Wednesday doubts that it had downed a Russian passenger plane over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, killing all aboard, and said it would tell the world how it did so in its …
Sisi says Muslim Brotherhood can play role in Egypt before UK visit
LONDON (Reuters) – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi suggested the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood could again play a role in public life if Egyptians wanted a return of the grouping he currently classifies as terrorist.
