Exclusive: U.S. force in Afghanistan may be cut to less than 10,000 troops
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan may drop well below 10,000 – the minimum demanded by the U.S. military to train Afghan forces – as the longest war in American history winds down, Obama administration officials briefed on…
Cyclone threatens to disrupt search for missing Malaysian plane
PERTH, Australia (Reuters) – A tropical cyclone was threatening to hamper the search for a missing Malaysian jetliner in a remote stretch of the Indian Ocean on Monday, as a submarine drone neared the end of its mission scouring the sea bed with still …
U.S. says has indications toxic chemical used in Syria this month
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States has indications that a toxic chemical, probably chlorine, was used in Syria this month and is examining whether the Syrian government was responsible, the U.S. State Department said on Monday.
Syria calls presidential vote, defying Assad’s opponents
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syria announced on Monday a presidential election for June 3, preparing the ground for Bashar al-Assad to defy widespread opposition and extend his grip on power, days after he said the civil war was turning in his favor.
South Korea’s Park says conduct of ferry crew tantamount to murder
JINDO, South Korea (Reuters) – South Korean President Park Geun-hye said on Monday the actions of some crew of a ferry that sank with hundreds feared dead were tantamount to murder, as a four-year-old video transcript showed the captain promoting the s…
Drone strikes alone won’t stamp out al Qaeda in Yemen: analysts
SANAA/DUBAI (Reuters) – An intense two days of air strikes on al Qaeda in Yemen may have killed or wounded some of its commanders, but drones alone are unlikely to eradicate the threat the group poses to Yemenis and the West.
French troops in Central African Republic escort Muslims to safety
BAMBARI, Central African Republic (Reuters) – French peacekeepers in Central African Republic escorted a convoy of Muslims away from the threat of violence in the capital on Monday to a town effectively controlled by Muslim rebels.
Parents search for abducted Nigeria girls, say 234 missing
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) – Parents of girls abducted by Islamist militants were searching for their daughters in a remote forest, they told the state governor on Monday, adding that 234 were still missing, a much higher figure than authorities said…
Saudi Arabia sentences eight to death for 2003 attacks: SPA
RIYADH (Reuters) – A Saudi Arabian court on Monday sentenced three more men to death, raising the number of people condemned for their involvement in a suicide attack on expatriate residential compounds in Riyadh in 2003 to eight, the state news agency…
Iran admits nuclear agency reshuffle to pave way for 5+1 talks
DUBAI (Reuters) – President Hassan Rouhani’s government confirmed rumors on Monday it had reshuffled the leadership of Iran’s atomic agency to sideline nuclear experts opposed to talks on its atomic program with the West.
