Lebanese police fire water cannon at protesters
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese security forces fired a water cannon at scores of anti-government protesters on Thursday, Reuters witnesses said. The crowd chanted “the people want the fall of the regime” as riot police surrounded them in downtown Beirut.
Afghan medical NGOs faced growing danger long before MSF hospital tragedy
KABUL (Reuters) – The U.S. air strike in Afghanistan that killed at least 22 patients and staff at a Medecins Sans Frontieres hospital wasn’t the first time the escalating war has affected an aid-run medical facility. There have even been instances sin…
Protesters scuffle with police in Iraq’s Kurdistan region
ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) – Protesters hurled stones and scuffled with riot police in the second largest city in Iraq’s Kurdish north on Thursday, in the most intense show of discontent since an economic crisis hit the region.
North Korean capital shows flashes of prosperity amid country’s isolation
PYONGYANG (Reuters) – Smartphones, traffic jams and modern, energy-saving lights casting a dim glow on the streets – North Korea’s capital shows signs of change even as it prepares for a pageant of military muscle and propaganda of the kind the country…
U.S. asks NATO allies for flexibility in Afghan drawdown plans
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The United States asked NATO allies on Thursday for flexibility as the alliance reviews its plans to rapidly withdraw troops from Afghanistan, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Thursday after talks in Brussels.
Islamic State overtakes al Qaeda as leader of extremist movement: U.S. official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Islamic State militant group has overtaken al Qaeda as leader of the global violent extremist movement and has access to a large pool of potential recruits in Western countries, U.S. national counter terrorism center chief Ni…
Pro-Kurdish party hopeful of PKK ceasefire as Turkish election nears
ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition said on Thursday it hoped Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants would announce a halt to hostilities soon to ease security concerns ahead of a Nov. 1 parliamentary election.
Hungary hopes to decide Croatian border closure in a week
BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungary will decide in a week whether to close its border with Croatia, where a double fence to stop a massive flow of migrants through the country is “99 percent finished,” a top government official said on Thursday.
India’s Modi breaks silence, calls for peace after violence over beef
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for religious harmony on Thursday, breaking a week-long silence after the mob killing of a Muslim man rumored to have slaughtered a cow sparked fears that Hindu zealots were targeting min…
Israel says Facebook, YouTube videos encouraging Palestinian attacks
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel said on Thursday it had asked Facebook and YouTube to remove videos it says have been encouraging Palestinian violence against Israelis in the past week.
