Polls show narrow opposition win in Sweden vote
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden’s center-left opposition leads the field ahead of Sunday’s general election, but a poll on Saturday pointed to a narrow victory and a complex task in building a stable government after the vote.
Prominent Muslim Brotherhood figures to leave Qatar
CAIRO (Reuters) – Some senior figures in Egypt’s outlawed Muslim Brotherhood have agreed to leave Qatar, a prominent member of the group said on Saturday, following months of pressure on the Gulf Arab state from its neighbors to stop backing the Islami…
Putin trying to destroy Ukraine, says its PM
KIEV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s prime minister said on Saturday Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed to destroy Ukraine as an independent country and said only NATO could defend the ex-Soviet republic from external aggression.
Philippines starts inquiry into Filipino militants in Syria
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines is investigating the involvement of Filipino Islamists in the three-year civil war in Syria after two locals were reported killed fighting for Islamic State militant group, an intelligence official said on Saturday.
China’s military secrecy justifies surveillance flights: U.S. official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is justified in carrying out surveillance flights in East Asia, in spite of Chinese objections, given a lack of transparency in China’s military buildup, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.
U.S. intensifies sanctions on Russia over Ukraine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States hit Russia’s largest bank, a major arms maker and arctic, deepwater and shale exploration by its biggest oil companies with new sanctions on Friday to punish Moscow for its intervention in Ukraine.
China urges central Asian neighbors to step up extremism fight
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s President Xi Jinping urged Central Asian states to step up the fight against religious extremism and cyber terrorism, state media said, as Beijing reaches for help across its borders in addressing security concerns in its re…
Kerry opposes Iran role in anti-Islamic State coalition
ANKARA (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday it was “not appropriate” for Iran to join talks on confronting Islamic State militants, as he appeared to play down how fast countries can commit to force or other steps in an emergin…
Americans back air strikes on Islamic State, wary of long haul: poll
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Americans support President Barack Obama’s campaign of air strikes against Islamic State militants but have a low appetite for a long campaign against the group, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed on Friday.
Islamic State’s Twitter silence raises questions
SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Islamic State’s Twitter users, which have trumpeted the group’s violent acts and world view on the social media service, have gone abruptly quiet in past days.