If Britain votes down Brexit deal next week, EU leaders will meet again: Juncker
There will be an extraordinary EU leaders meeting next week if the British parliament votes down for the third time the Brexit deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May, the head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said.
We’ll fight for a Brexit deal, but prepare for failure: Merkel
The European Union must do everything possible to ensure that Britain leaves the bloc in an orderly fashion, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said ahead of a European Council summit that is set to be dominated by Brexit.
Victory over Islamic State to be announced after enclave searched: SDF
U.S.-backed Syrian forces were sweeping on Thursday through the final enclave that had been held by Islamic State fighters, and said they would declare the group defeated once a search for hidden mines and jihadist holdouts was complete.
In sign of new dual rule, Kazakh leaders sticking together
Nursultan Nazarbayev remains omnipresent in Kazakh politics days after his surprise resignation, hinting he will effectively retain a share of power with the loyalist parliament speaker who automatically stepped into his shoes.
Iran will boost defence capabilities despite U.S. pressure – Khamenei
Iran is determined to boost its defence capabilities despite mounting pressure from the United States and its allies to curb its ballistic missile programme, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday.
Delays in Kosovo talks could destabilize Balkans, Serbia’s president says
The failure to revive talks between Serbia and Kosovo on normalizing relations could destabilize the Western Balkan region still recovering from the wars of the 1990s, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday.
At least 40 killed as overloaded ferry sinks in Iraq’s Tigris river
At least 40 people died when an overloaded ferry sank in the Tigris river near Mosul in Iraq, police and medical sources told Reuters on Thursday.
Pompeo, in Israel, says Hezbollah putting Lebanon at risk
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday described the heavily armed Hezbollah group as a risk to their fellow Lebanese and conferred with Israel about the Iranian-backed militia ahead of a trip to Beirut.
Kremlin accuses U.S. of stoking tensions by flying bombers near its borders
The Kremlin on Thursday complained that flights by U.S. nuclear-capable B-52 strategic bombers across the Baltic Sea near Russia’s borders were creating tensions in the region, but Washington said they were needed to deter potential adversaries.
Ethiopia crash captain did not train on airline’s MAX simulator: source
The captain of a doomed Ethiopian Airlines flight did not get a chance to practice on his airline’s new simulator for the Boeing 737 MAX 8 before he died in a crash with 157 others, a pilot colleague said.
