Qaeda tells Syria fighters to shun secularists in sign of deeper rebel rift
DUBAI (Reuters) – Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri has told the Islamist militants who are some of Syria’s toughest opposition forces to avoid alliances with other rebel fighters backed by Gulf Arab states and the West.
Senior police woman gunned down in Afghanistan
KABUL (Reuters) – A senior female police officer in Afghanistan was shot in an assassination attempt on Sunday, two months after her female predecessor was killed, underscoring worries about both security and the role of women as foreign troops prepare…
EU spending cuts to hit Portugal’s poor
LISBON (Reuters) – Spending cuts to European Union food aid programs could leave Portugal’s growing ranks of poor with even emptier plates.
Kosovo and Macedonia end trade dispute
PRISTINA/SKOPJE (Reuters) – Goods from Kosovo and Macedonia crossed their border on Sunday, ending a trade dispute that closed the frontier between the Balkan neighbors to goods and vehicles for six days.
Netanyahu hopes U.S.-Russia deal will lead to destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday Israel hoped a U.S.-Russian deal to remove Syria’s chemical weapons would result in the “complete destruction” of the arsenal.
Guns, clans, rogue Muslim rebels undermine south Philippine peace
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines, Sept 15 – A week of violence in the southern Philippines has undercut hopes of lasting peace in the resource-rich region and exposed the government to criticism for underestimating rogue Muslim rebels who feel ignored by a …
Pakistani ‘Father of Taliban’ keeps watch over loyal disciples
AKORA KHATTAK, Pakistan (Reuters) – He is known as the Father of the Taliban, a radical Pakistani cleric who calls the Taliban’s one-eyed leader an “angel” and runs a seminary described as the University of Jihad.
India tests nuclear capable missile with range as far as Beijing
BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) – India successfully test-fired for a second time a nuclear-capable missile on Sunday that can reach Beijing and much of Europe, bringing a step closer production of a weapon designed to strengthen its nuclear deterrent.
Iraqi Kurds seek funds from oil companies for Syria refugees
ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) – Iraqi Kurdistan has asked oil companies operating in the autonomous region for $50 million to help deal with an influx of refugees from Syria that has put a strain on its resources.
Analysis: South Sudan’s Kiir faces growing dissent as new state stumbles
JUBA (Reuters) – Telsach Gad, a teacher in South Sudan, had high hopes for a better life when his country became independent in 2011 after decades of civil war with Khartoum. Two years later, he has lost all illusions.
