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.
Palestinian driver shot dead after ramming Israeli officer: Israeli police
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian driver in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday after he rammed into an Israeli border policeman, critically wounding him, police said.
Pope faces resistance to reform Vatican, new books say
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Two new books by Italian journalists depict a Vatican plagued by mismanagement, greed and corruption and where Pope Francis faces stiff resistance from the old guard to his reform agenda.
