Deadly storm engulfs Middle East, slows Syria air strikes
NICOSIA/BEIRUT (Reuters) – A heavy sandstorm swept across parts of the Middle East on Tuesday, killing two people and hospitalizing hundreds in Lebanon and disrupting fighting and air strikes in neighboring Syria.
Greece says Russia picks Syria aid flight route to east of Greece
ATHENS (Reuters) – Russia plans to use an air route to the east of Greece to transport aid into Syria, meaning the use of Greek airspace for such flights is no longer an issue, a Greek government spokesman said on Tuesday.
Russia says truce holding in Ukraine but little progress on peace plan
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday fighting has died down in east Ukraine since a new truce was put in place on Sept. 1 but blamed Kiev for not moving forward on other provisions of a peace plan brokered by Germany and F…
Syrian army, Islamic State battle for central oilfield
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Islamic State fighters battled government forces on Tuesday at central Syria’s Jazal oilfield, the last such facility still partly under state control, a group monitoring the conflict reported.
Iran will discuss peace in Syria with any country, Rouhani says
TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran is willing to sit down with its rivals to discuss the crisis in Syria, President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday, but suggested Tehran would not debate the future of President Bashar al-Assad until peace is achieved.
Russia likely to give military assistance to Afghanistan: Interfax
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia expects to grant military assistance to Afghanistan that could include helicopters, Interfax news agency quoted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy as saying on Tuesday.
Austrian president, in Tehran, expects growing trade with Iran
TEHRAN (Reuters) – Austrian President Heinz Fischer, the first Western head of state to visit Iran in more than a decade, told his hosts on Tuesday of his hopes for economic gains for both countries as relations with Tehran thaw.
Bomb attack in eastern Turkey kills 10 police officers- official
ANKARA (Reuters) – Ten Turkish police officers were killed in a bomb attack on a minibus in the eastern Turkish province of Igdir on Tuesday, a government official told Reuters.
Modi asks billionaires if China’s pain can be India’s gain
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Prime Minister Narendra Modi called bankers and billionaires to his residence on Tuesday to brainstorm on how India can manage global economic turbulence, including opportunities for Asia’s third-largest economy in China’s market …
As Pope visit nears, U.S. Catholic Church faces financial strain
BOSTON (Reuters) – When Pope Francis makes his first visit to the United States this month he will face a national Catholic Church whose finances are staggering under a shrinking membership and huge payouts to sex-abuse victims, threatening to undermin…
