Afghan talks on unity government collapse; crisis deepens
KABUL (Reuters) – Talks on a power-sharing deal between Afghanistan’s rival presidential candidates have collapsed, a top leader said on Monday, rekindling fears of ethnic unrest over disputed election results.
U.N. to send team to investigate Islamic State crimes in Iraq
GENEVA (Reuters) – The United Nations agreed on Monday to send investigators to Iraq to examine crimes being committed by Islamic State militants on “an unimaginable scale”, with a view to holding perpetrators to account.
Iran’s Zarif ‘quite optimistic’ of Iran nuclear agreement
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif voiced optimism after talks with European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Monday that a dispute over Tehran’s nuclear program can be resolved by a Nov. 24 deadline.
Iranians play role in breaking IS siege of Iraqi town
AMERLI Iraq (Reuters) – Kurdish peshmerga fighters and Shi’ite militiamen paraded through Amerli on Monday, a day after breaking the two-month siege of the northern town by Sunni Islamist militants.
Ukraine accuses Russia of “undisguised aggression” as rebels advance
KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) – Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko accused Russia on Monday of “direct and undisguised aggression” which he said had radically changed the battlefield balance as Kiev’s forces suffered a further reverse in their war with pro-M…
Obama notifies Congress of ordering air strikes in Iraq’s Amerli
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama formally notified the U.S. Congress on Monday that he had authorized air strikes and humanitarian airdrops over the weekend in the Iraqi Shi’ite town of Amerli where Islamic State militants had trapped the civilian population.
Syrian army, rebels fight on Golan where peacekeepers held
EIN ZIVAN Golan Heights/MANILA (Reuters) – Heavy fighting erupted on Monday between the Syrian army and Islamist rebels on the Golan Heights, where 44 peacekeepers from Fiji are being held by militants and scores of their fellow blue helmets from the P…
Cubans angered by new consumer import restrictions
HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba has raised duties and restricted imports on consumer goods brought in by air travelers or sent by mail, imposing greater hardship for a fledgling private sector and angering people looking to counter chronic shortages.
NATO to create new ‘spearhead’ force to respond to crises
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – NATO leaders will respond to the Ukraine crisis by agreeing this week to create a “spearhead” rapid reaction force, potentially including several thousand troops, that could be sent to a hotspot in as little as two days, officials …
German euroskeptics chide Merkel after state surge
BERLIN (Reuters) – Riding a wave of momentum after a strong showing in a regional election, Germany’s new anti-euro party said on Monday it was time for Chancellor Angela Merkel to wake up and accept it as a new conservative force in German politics.
