Fending off insurgents, main UK parties limp towards closest election in memory
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s politicians returned on Monday from their Christmas break to launch campaigns for what could be the closest election in memory, with the rise of anti-Europeans and Scottish nationalists creating uncertainty unseen since the…
Turkey, U.S. to finalize Syrian rebel training this month: official
ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey and the United States aim to finalize an agreement on equipping and training moderate Syrian rebels this month, a senior foreign ministry official said on Monday, part of the U.S.-led campaign to battle Islamic State militants…
India, Pakistan step up border fighting ahead of Kerry visit
SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) – Indian and Pakistani troops intensified cross-border firing on Monday, killing an Indian border guard and forcing hundreds of villagers to flee, escalating tensions before visits by top U.S. officials.
U.S. leads 20 more air strikes against Islamic State
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S.-led coalition launched 20 more air strikes against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq on Sunday and Monday, targeting fighters for the militant group and hitting its crude oil operations, according to the Combined Joint Tas…
Three Saudi guards killed in suicide, gun attack on Iraq border: ministry
RIYADH (Reuters) – Militants killed two Saudi border guards and their commanding officer on the frontier with Iraq early on Monday, the interior ministry said, in a suicide and gun attack one analyst called Islamic State’s first assault on the kingdom….
Lebanon implements new controls at Syrian border
MASNAA BORDER CROSSING, Lebanon (Reuters) – Lebanon enforced new immigration controls at the Syrian border on Monday in a move to gain control of the steady stream of refugees from its much larger neighbor.
Germany and France cast doubt on Jan. 15 Ukraine summit
PARIS (Reuters) – Germany cast doubt on whether a four-way summit on the Ukraine crisis in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana on Jan. 15 would take place on Monday and France’s president said the meeting would depend on the likelihood of “new progress” being …
Islamist militants kill seven Malian soldiers in dawn attack
BAMAKO (Reuters) – Islamist gunmen killed at least seven Malian soldiers near the Mauritanian border, a local mayor said in Monday, in a dawn raid that illustrated continuing volatility two years after France helped take back territory seized by al Qae…
Violent incidents mount as Sri Lanka heads to presidential poll
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Three supporters of the challenger for Sri Lanka’s presidency were injured by unidentified gunmen on Monday, the latest in a series of violent incidents ahead of the South Asian island nation’s election this week.
Bahrain extends detention of opposition leader: statement
MANAMA (Reuters) – The head of the Bahrain’s main Shi’ite Muslim opposition group was remanded in custody for a further 15 days on Monday in a move that could further inflame sectarian tensions in the Kingdom.
