Assad allies, including Iranians, prepare ground attack in Syria: sources
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Hundreds of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria in the last 10 days and will soon join government forces and their Lebanese Hezbollah allies in a major ground offensive backed by Russian air strikes, two Lebanese sources told Reuter…
Merkel’s popularity slides to four-year low amid refugee crisis
BERLIN (Reuters) – Chancellor Angela Merkel has seen her popularity slump to its lowest level in nearly four years, reflecting growing concern over the influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees into Germany, a poll showed on Thursday.
Syria and Ukraine: two fronts in Russian war for influence
BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Russia’s air strikes in Syria are in part designed to extract concessions from the West over Ukraine by making Moscow a key player in any attempts by world powers to hammer out a post-conflict settlement in Damascus, som…
Migrants face new diversion as Hungary prepares to seal Croatia border
ZAKANY, Hungary (Reuters) – A small gap in coils of newly laid razor wire is all that remains of the Zakany-Botovo border crossing between Hungary and fellow European Union member Croatia, as Budapest prepares to close off another route for migrants fl…
Norway must hike defense to counter Russian build-up: military chief
OSLO (Reuters) – Norway needs to scale up and modernize its defense as Russia’s military buildup in the Arctic is creating a more uncertain security situation, its military chief said on Thursday.
Mounting extortion plagues shopkeepers in violent Venezuela
CARACAS (Reuters) – A Portuguese immigrant to Venezuela who opened his shop in an industrial zone of Caracas 25 years ago stores wads of cash in a black bag each week then waits for the phone to ring.
Pakistan’s Sharif urges formalized Kashmir truce with India
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called on Wednesday for cooperation, not confrontation, with on-and-off foe India and said the two nuclear-armed countries should formalize a ceasefire in disputed Kashmir.
Exclusive: Assad allies, including Iranians, prepare ground attack in Syria – sources
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Hundreds of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria in the last 10 days and will soon join government forces and their Lebanese Hezbollah allies in a major ground offensive backed by Russian air strikes, two Lebanese sources told Reuter…
Normal ties between Iran and U.S. unlikely despite nuclear deal
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Iran is unlikely to normalize relations with the United States despite a landmark nuclear deal reached with America and other major powers and the first handshake between a U.S. president and a high-ranking Iranian official i…
Assault on Thai government websites ‘symbolic’, minister says
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand on Thursday played down a coordinated attack on several government websites, with the technology minister pledging that a controversial plan for a single internet gateway would not disrupt social media and business communic…
