Syria’s fractured opposition seeks elusive unity against Assad
RIYADH (Reuters) – Syria’s rebel and opposition groups are trying to forge a common stance over negotiations to end the civil war but the absence of some prominent activists and a main Kurdish force from their meeting in Riyadh shows that unity remains…
Dozens reported killed as rival Afghan Taliban groups clash
HERAT, Afghanistan (Reuters) – More than 50 people have been killed and dozens more wounded in renewed fighting between rival Taliban factions in Shindand district near the western Afghan city of Herat, a local police spokesman said on Tuesday.
Militants in Syria attract 31,000 foreign fighters: ex-UK spy chief
LONDON (Reuters) – Syria has become the pre-eminent global incubator for a new generation of militants after Islamist groups more than doubled their recruitment of foreign fighters to as much as 31,000 over the past 18 months, according to a former Bri…
Lebanese politician casts doubt on presidential deal
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Talks aimed at ending Lebanon’s 18-month-long presidential vacuum are not going smoothly, a Christian leader said on Tuesday, casting doubt on the outlook for a power-sharing proposal aimed at reviving the paralyzed government.
Kerry says aiming for New York Syria meeting on December 18
PARIS (Reuters) – Countries involved in the Syrian peace process are set to meet in New York on Dec. 18 but the talks may hinge on efforts to unite Syrian opposition groups in the coming days, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday.
Al Qaeda video shows three men purportedly confessing to spying, one shot dead
NOUAKCHOTT (Reuters) – Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) released a video on Monday showing three men purportedly confessing to spying for the Mauritanian and French military and then one being taken out of a pick-up truck in the desert and shot i…
Egypt sees tourist returns down 10 percent after plane crash, eyes gradual recovery
CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s tourism revenues in 2015 will be at least 10 percent below last year’s after a Russian plane crash prompted Moscow and London to suspend flights, and authorities are now working to restore confidence, the tourism minister said…
U.S.-led coalition targets Islamic State with 31 air strikes: statement
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and its allies staged 31 air strikes in Syria and Iraq against the Islamic State militant group on Monday, the U.S. military said in a statement.
Spanish police arrest two suspected of recruiting for Islamic State
MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish police on Tuesday arrested two people suspected of recruiting fighters for Islamic State in the Canary Islands and the northeastern region of Catalonia, bringing to 100 the number of suspected Islamist militants detained this…
China’s Tibet party boss urges senior monk to shun Dalai Lama
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Communist Party boss in Tibet has urged the Panchen Lama, the second-highest figure in Tibetan Buddhism, to reject the Himalayan region’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, state media said on Tuesday.
