In unexpected twist, Assad ally may be Lebanon’s next president
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanon’s political crisis has taken a dramatic turn with the possibility that a friend of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could become president in a power-sharing deal aimed at breathing life back into the paralyzed state.
Indonesia to release AirAsia crash investigation report
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia was set to publish the results of its investigation into last year’s crash of an Indonesia AirAsia passenger jet on Tuesday, the first official explanation to the families of the 162 people killed in the disaster.
Russia says top Russian and U.S. military officials discuss fight against IS
MOSCOW (Reuters) – The head of the Russian army’s general staff and the chairman of the U.S. joint chiefs of staff on Monday discussed by phone questions relating to the fight against Islamic State in Syria, Interfax news agency reported, citing the Ru…
Israel’s Netanyahu stresses importance of Israel-Russia military cooperation at meeting with Putin
PARIS (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed the importance of Israeli-Russian military cooperation to prevent “unnecessary accidents” at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Paris, a Reuters reporter at the talks …
Philippines official confident in South China Sea arbitration case
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – The Philippines on Monday wrapped up a week of arguments before judges in its case against China over the hotly disputed South China Sea, at a hearing boycotted by Beijing.
Two French men stopped on way to Islamic State in Libya: official
PARIS (Reuters) – Two French nationals suspected of wanting to join Islamic State training camps in Libya before heading to Syria were arrested in Tunisia in mid-November, according to an official at the Paris prosecutor’s office.
Decades after Nigeria’s war, new Biafra movement grows
ENUGU, Nigeria (Reuters) – Nearly half a century after a civil war in which a million people died, 27-year-old Okoli Ikedi is part of a new protest movement in southeastern Nigeria calling for an independent state of Biafra.
Turkish opposition says police bullet may have killed Kurdish lawyer
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A prominent Kurdish lawyer gunned down in southeastern Turkey appeared to have been shot by a policeman who was firing on suspects fleeing the scene of an attack on fellow officers, a deputy from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition sai…
Nusra Front demands obstruct release of Lebanese soldiers: security chief
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Efforts to secure the release of Lebanese soldiers and policemen held captive by the Nusra Front have been obstructed by last minute demands from the Syrian al Qaeda-linked group, the head of a Lebanese security agency was quoted as …
Hours after EU deal, Turkey rounds up 1,300 migrants bound for Greece
AYVACIK, Turkey (Reuters) – Turkish authorities rounded up some 1,300 migrants on Monday that they said were planning to sail to Greece from hideouts near secluded Aegean beaches and forests, hours after striking a deal with the European Union on stemm…
