Syrian planes bomb border post near Israel captured by rebels
AMMAN (Reuters) – Syrian jets shelled rebel positions near a border crossing close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that was seized by rebels in some of the heaviest clashes in the strategic area this year, rebels and residents said on Thursday.
Islamic State executes soldiers, takes hostages at Syria base: social media
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Islamic State militants have executed Syrian army soldiers and are holding a group hostage after capturing an air base in northeast Syria at the weekend, pictures posted on social media by supporters showed on Wednesday.
Islamic State commits war crimes, Syrian government using poison gas: U.N.
GENEVA (Reuters) – The United Nations accused Islamic State insurgents on Wednesday of committing war crimes including amputations and public executions, sometimes in the presence of children, and said it believed Damascus had used chlorine gas in comb…
U.S. moves prisoners from Afghanistan to Pakistan, Yemen
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has moved 11 new prisoners out of a military prison near the Afghan capital, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, as the Obama administration seeks to shut down a controversial detainee program in Afghanistan ahead o…
Syria chemical arms team to disband September 30, probe to go on: U.N.
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – A joint mission of the United Nations and the global anti-chemical arms watchdog that has overseen the destruction of Syria’s toxic gas stocks will shut down on Sept. 30 though a successor unit will continue investigating, th…
Breakthrough hopes dented as Ukraine accuses Russia of new incursion
KIEV/DONETSK Ukraine (Reuters) – Ukraine accused Russia of launching a new military incursion across its eastern border on Wednesday, as hopes quickly faded that Tuesday’s talks between their two presidents might mark a turning point in a five-month-ol…
U.S., Blackwater defense clash on jury summary of shooting
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. prosecutor and a lawyer for a former Blackwater Worldwide security guard on Wednesday presented a jury with starkly different summaries of a 2007 shooting at a Baghdad traffic circle that sparked international outrage and …
New Brazil poll shows Silva beating Rousseff in runoff
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Environmentalist Marina Silva would handily beat President Dilma Rousseff if Brazil’s October election goes to a runoff, a poll showed on Wednesday, an outcome that seemed unimaginable just a few weeks ago and one that would put an…
India’s Modi eyes breakthrough nuclear pact on Japan trip
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India is hoping to win Japanese backing for a nuclear energy pact during a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and lure investment into its $85 billion market while addressing Japan’s concern about doing business with a nuclear…
Shambolic election campaign leaves Indonesia’s president-elect much to prove
JAKARTA (Reuters) – When he was nominated in March as a candidate for Indonesia’s presidential election, polls showed Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had a 30-point lead over the man who would become his main challenger, former army general Prabowo Subianto. 
