Netanyahu says willing to discuss Arab initiative for peace with Palestinians

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held out the prospect on Monday of reviving a 2002 Arab peace initiative that offers Israel diplomatic recognition from Arab countries in return for a statehood deal with the Palestinians.

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Iraqi army storms to edge of Islamic State-held Falluja; fresh bombings hit Baghdad

SOUTHERN OUTSKIRTS OF FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - The Iraqi army stormed to the southern edge of Falluja under U.S. air support on Monday and captured a police station inside the city limits, launching a direct assault to retake one of the main strongholds of Islamic State militants.

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Libyan oil guard says captures coastal town from Islamic State after clashes

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - A force that controls oil terminals in eastern Libya said it had captured the town of Ben Jawad from Islamic State, pushing the militant group back along a coastal strip they control east of their stronghold of Sirte.

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Drowned baby picture captures week of tragedy in Mediterranean

ROME (Reuters) - A photograph of a drowned migrant baby in the arms of a German rescuer was distributed on Monday by a humanitarian organization aiming to persuade European authorities to ensure safe passage to migrants, after hundreds are feared to have drowned in the Mediterranean last week.

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Japan puts military on alert for possible North Korea missile launch: NHK

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan on Monday put its military on alert for a possible North Korean ballistic missile launch, ordering naval destroyers and anti-ballistic missile Patriot batteries to be ready to shoot down any projectile heading for Japan, state broadcaster NHK said.

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Hopes and fears for jobs as Afghan cement factory reopens

JABAL SARAJ, Afghanistan (Reuters) - After a break of 20 years, Afghanistan's first cement factory is once more clanking noisily in the countryside near Kabul as crushed-up limestone rocks rattle along a battered conveyor belt to the newly restored kiln.

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Philippine Congress proclaims Duterte winner of presidential election

MANILA (Reuters) - Rodrigo Duterte became the 16th president of the Philippines on Monday when a joint session of Congress declared him winner of a May 9 election, succeeding Benigno Aquino who steps down next month after six years in office.

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U.S.-backed Syrian alliance widens offensive near IS capital

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A U.S.-backed alliance of Syrian militias is widening an offensive against Islamic State near its de facto capital of Raqqa, targeting an area where the group controls a disused air base, a monitoring group and a Kurdish official said on Monday.

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New photo of Japanese hostage appears with message pleading for help

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Japanese government said on Monday it was doing all it could to secure the release of a Japanese journalist being held hostage by an al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, after an apparent photograph of the man was posted on the internet.

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Between 700-900 migrants may have died at sea this week: NGOs

ROME (Reuters) - At least 700 migrants may have died at sea this past week in the busiest week of migrant crossings from Libya towards Italy this year, Medecins San Frontieres and the UN Refugee agency said on Sunday.

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French PM says he will not bow to labor reform protestors

PARIS (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Manuel Valls is determined not to join a long list of politicians who have conceded defeat to protesters, he told the Journal Du Dimanche (JDD) newspaper, as the government prepares to dig in its heels on labor reform.

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Turkey's new prime minister wins vote of confidence in parliament

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim's government on Sunday won a vote of confidence in parliament as well as approval for his legislative program, parliament speaker Ismail Kahraman said.

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U.S. servicemen seen on frontline of new Kurdish offensive in Iraq

HASSAN SHAMI, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. servicemen were seen by a Reuters correspondent near the frontline of an offensive launched on Sunday by Kurdish Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq that aims to retake a handful of villages from Islamic State east of their Mosul stronghold.

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Canada's Trudeau defends assisted suicide bill as deadline nears

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - A bill legalizing medically-assisted suicide in Canada strikes the right balance between defending fundamental freedoms and protecting against abuses, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Saturday, predicting confusion if it is not approved.

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Venezuela government, opposition hold talks in Dominican Republic: local media

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition leaders and top government officials have held talks in the Dominican Republic to lay the groundwork for a potential dialogue to defuse a political standoff and a deepening economic crisis, local media reported on Saturday.

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Turkish rockets, U.S.-led coalition hit Islamic State in Syria: media

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish and US-led coalition airstrikes killed 104 Islamic State militants in retaliation for the latest attack on a Turkish border province, Turkish media reported on Saturday, citing military sources.

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At G7, Cameron keeps lid on press pack's 'Brexit' probing

ISE-SHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - In Japan, ostensibly to cover Prime Minister David Cameron's talks with other G7 leaders, traveling reporters had other things on their minds -- mainly next month's vote on whether Britain should ditch its membership of the European Union.

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U.S. forces in Okinawa hold month of mourning for murdered Japanese woman

TOKYO (Reuters) - The U.S. military on Saturday announced a 30-day period of mourning at its bases on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, where the killing of a woman has reignited resentment of the heavy U.S. military presence in the region.

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Mexico drug boss Chapo files legal challenge against extradition: media

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Lawyers for Mexican drug boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman have filed a legal challenge against a decision by the foreign ministry to approve his extradition to the United States, a newspaper reported on Friday.

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U.N. urges Syrian government to stop blocking aid deliveries

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations' humanitarian chief on Friday demanded that the Syrian government and militant groups stop interfering with the delivery of food and medicine for civilians trapped in besieged and difficult-to-reach areas in war-ravaged Syria.

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Obama mourns dead in Hiroshima, calls for world without nuclear arms

HIROSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - Barack Obama on Friday became the first incumbent U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, site of the world's first atomic bombing, in a gesture Tokyo and Washington hope will showcase their alliance and reinvigorate efforts to rid the world of nuclear arms.

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Islamic State drives Syria rebels from near Turkish border

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters captured territory from Syrian rebels near the Turkish border on Friday and inched closer to a town on a supply route for foreign-backed insurgents fighting the jihadists, a monitoring group said.

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China faces headaches from warming Vietnam-U.S. ties

HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) - At a stroke, the U.S. and Vietnam have complicated the strategic outlook for China over the disputed South China Sea.

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G7 vows growth efforts as Japan's Abe warns of global 'crisis'

ISE-SHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - The Group of Seven industrial powers pledged on Friday to seek strong global growth, while papering over differences on currencies and stimulus policies and expressing concern over North Korea, Russia and maritime disputes involving China.

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G7 vows growth, fudges FX, frets North Korea, Russia, China

ISE-SHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - The Group of Seven industrial powers pledged on Friday to seek strong global growth, while papering over differences on currencies and stimulus policies and expressing concern over North Korea, Russia and maritime disputes involving China.

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As ties deepen, elite U.S., Vietnam forces eye possible opening

TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - Special operations forces from the United States and Vietnam are signaling a readiness to start forging ties should their governments choose to do so, in what would be a major step in relations between militaries that were at war 4-1/2 decades ago. Rear Admiral Colin Kilrain, who leads U.S. Special Operations Forces in the Asia-Pacific region, told Reuters in an interview that he met the commander from Vietnam's elite forces on the sidelines of a conference in Tampa, F

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Pentagon says China aircraft intercept violated 2015 agreement

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon has concluded that an intercept of a U.S. military aircraft by Chinese fighter jets last week over the South China Sea violated an agreement the two governments signed last year, a U.S. defense official said on Thursday.

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South Korea fires warning shots after boats from North cross sea border

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's navy fired warning shots on Friday after a North Korean patrol boat and fishing boat crossed the disputed sea border off the west coast of the Korean peninsula, an official with South Korea's joint chiefs of staff told Reuters.

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No Syria talks for two-three weeks, U.N. says

GENEVA (Reuters) - There will be no new round of Syria talks for at least two or three weeks, the office of U.N. special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said in a statement on Thursday, after he consulted the U.N. Security Council for about two and a half hours.

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Yemen's warring sides agree prisoner swap before Ramadan

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Yemen's warring parties have agreed to a prisoner exchange before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in early June, sources from both delegations told Reuters on Thursday.

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China says it followed rules in U.S. aircraft intercept

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Defence Ministry said on Thursday its aircraft followed the rules after two Chinese fighter jets carried out what the United States said was an "unsafe" intercept of a U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea.

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Migrant numbers growing again at Calais camp

PARIS (Reuters) - Hundreds more migrants have made they way to Calais on France's north coast in recent months despite the bulldozing of part of their "jungle" camp in March, and despite extra port security aimed at stopping them from reaching Britain.

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Atomic bomb survivors to attend Hiroshima event for Obama visit

ISE-SHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - At least three atomic bomb survivors will attend an event in Hiroshima on Friday when President Barack Obama becomes the first incumbent U.S. leader to visit the site of the world's first atomic bombing, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.

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Australian police arrest man over alleged terror plot

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian counter-terrorism police said they arrested a 24-year-old man in Sydney on Thursday on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack, the latest in a string of arrests connected with radical Islamist-inspired violence.

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New Zealand parliament in lock down after security threat ahead of budget

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand's parliament was in lock down on Thursday after a security threat, but the annual 2016 budget would proceed as planned.

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Japan's Abe to take G7 leaders to shrine as economy tops summit agenda

ISE-SHIMA (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe was set to escort Group of Seven (G7) leaders to the Shinto religion's holiest site on Thursday ahead of a summit that will cover topics from risks to the global economy to China's maritime assertiveness.

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Brazil orders diplomats to rebut impeachment critics abroad

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's new foreign minister, Jose Serra, has ordered diplomats to rebut any government, media or international organization that criticizes the impeachment of suspended President Dilma Rousseff, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.

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UK PM Cameron says EU referendum turnout is greatest concern for 'In'

ISE-SHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - Those fighting for Britain to remain in the European Union are making good progress but getting young people to register and turn out to vote is the 'In' camp's greatest concern, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday.

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Belgian police detain four on suspicion of belonging to terrorist group

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian police searched houses in the city of Antwerp on Wednesday and detained four people on suspicion of belonging to a terrorist group and trying to drum up recruits to fight with Islamist militants in Syria or Libya, state prosecutors said.

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Car bomb kills three security force members in Turkey's mainly Kurdish region

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - A car bomb attack on a gendarmes station in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast killed three members of the security forces and wounded three others on Wednesday, Interior Ministry officials said.

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Japan PM protests Okinawa crime to Obama, who promises cooperation

ISE-SHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe protested to U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday about the killing of a young woman in Okinawa which has reignited resentment of the heavy U.S. military presence on the southern Japanese island.

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U.S.-backed Syrian militias not preparing assault on Islamic State capital: spokesman

BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S.-backed Syrian militias are not preparing an assault on Islamic State's de facto Syrian capital of Raqqa at present, a militia spokesman said, indicating the limited scope of a new offensive in nearby areas where fighting raged on Wednesday.

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Swedish court upholds Assange arrest warrant

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - A Swedish lower court upheld on Wednesday the arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, saying the stay at Ecuador's London embassy did not equal detention.

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Pardoned Russians on way to prisoner swap for jailed Ukrainian Savchenko

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Ukraine has pardoned the two jailed Russians to be swapped for imprisoned Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko, a source close to the prisoner exchange told Reuters.

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U.S.-backed Syrian alliance launches new attack near Islamic State capital

AMMAN (Reuters) - A U.S.-backed alliance of Syrian militias launched a new offensive against Islamic State fighters near their de facto capital of Raqqa city on Tuesday, a monitoring group and an official said.

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Ten killed in suicide attack near Afghan capital

KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide attack on a bus carrying staff from an appeal court killed 10 people and wounded four on Wednesday west of the Afghan capital, Kabul, an interior ministry spokesman said.

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Afghan Taliban appoint new leader after Mansour's death

KABUL (Reuters) - The Afghan Taliban have named a deputy to former leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour as their new leader, a spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday, the group's first official confirmation that Mansour was killed in a U.S. drone strike.

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Japan to press Obama to get strict on crime from U.S. bases

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will ask U.S. President Barack Obama to take strict measures to prevent crime by people from U.S. military bases after the arrest last week of a U.S. worker in connection with the murder of a Japanese woman.

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Iraq forces shell Falluja for second day; U.N. concerned for civilians

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces shelled Islamic State targets in Falluja on Tuesday, the second day of an assault to retake the militant stronghold just west of Baghdad.

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EgyptAir remains point to blast, no explosives traces so far: forensics

CAIRO (Reuters) - Human remains retrieved from the crashed EgyptAir flight suggest that there was an explosion on board the plane, although no traces of explosives have been detected, an Egyptian forensics official and investigation sources said on Tuesday.

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In Iran, dividends of nuclear deal are slow to appear

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Hopes that Iran would quickly reintegrate with world markets after its nuclear deal, bringing investment and opportunities to a young population, are turning to frustration. An opaque business environment in Iran and political uncertainty in the United States are to blame.

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Obama says several Vietnamese activists prevented from meeting him

HANOI (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said several Vietnamese civil society members were prevented from meeting him on Tuesday and that, despite great strides made by the country, Washington had concerns about the limits it puts on political freedom.

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Greece starts clearing makeshift migrant camp on border

IDOMENI, Greece (Reuters) - Greek police started moving migrants and refugees out of a sprawling tent camp on the sealed northern border with Macedonia on Tuesday where thousands have been stranded for months trying to get into western Europe.

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Russia, Ukraine commit to Minsk accords in call with France, Germany

BERLIN (Reuters) - The leaders of Russia and Ukraine discussed with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the French President preparations to hold elections in an eastern Ukrainian area hit by a pro-Russian insurrection, according to the german government.

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Obama says will ensure freedom of navigation in South China Sea

HANOI (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that Washington would stand with partners to ensure freedom of navigation and flight in the South China Sea and, without mentioning China by name, said big nations should not bully smaller ones.

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Brazil's new government loses key minister to scandal

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's interim government was rocked on Monday by the loss of one of its key figures, Planning Minister Romero Juca, who stepped aside amid accusations he had conspired to obstruct the country's biggest-ever corruption investigation.

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North Korean envoy rejects Trump overture to meet leader

GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's proposal to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a "kind of propaganda or advertisement" in his election race, a senior North Korean official said on Monday.

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Iraqi forces clash with Islamic State near Falluja, bombard city center

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi government forces fought Islamic State militants near Falluja on Monday and bombarded central districts at the outset of an offensive to retake the longtime jihadist stronghold on the western approaches to the capital Baghdad.

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Blasts kill more than 100 in Syrian government coastal heartland: monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Bomb blasts killed more than 100 people in the Syrian coastal cities of Jableh and Tartous on Monday, monitors said, in a government-controlled area that host Russian forces.

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Japan to press Obama to get strict on crime from U.S. bases

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will ask U.S. President Barack Obama to take strict measures to prevent crime by people from U.S. military bases after the arrest last week of a U.S. worker in connection with the murder of a Japanese woman.

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China plans base station for rescue operations in South China Sea

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese government bureau is planning a base station for an advanced rescue ship in the disputed Spratly Islands, state media reported on Monday, as China continues its push to develop civilian and military infrastructure in the contentious region.

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Iraq announces start of Falluja operation, some residents flee

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the launching of an offensive to retake the Islamic State stronghold of Falluja after the military told residents on Sunday to get ready to leave before fighting started.

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Erdogan ally takes over as Turkish PM, vowing stronger presidency

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan confirmed Binali Yildirim, a close ally for two decades and a co-founder of the ruling AK Party, as his new prime minister on Sunday, taking a big step toward the stronger presidential powers he has long sought.

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Obama: Hiroshima visit to emphasize current U.S. ties with Japan

TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday his visit to Hiroshima, the first city to suffer an atomic bombing, would emphasize friendly ties between former enemies, and reiterated he would not apologize for the devastating attack.

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Road to Aleppo hit in heaviest air strikes in months: rebel, monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Air strikes hit the only road into rebel-held areas of Aleppo city on Sunday in the heaviest bombardment since February, a rebel official and monitor said, jeopardizing access to an area where an estimated 300,000 Syrians live.

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Egypt's Sisi says crash investigation will take time

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Sunday that an investigation into the cause of an EgyptAir plane crash could take a long time but the facts would be made public as soon as they were available.

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Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Johnson?

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - As a former journalist who made his name by bashing Brussels but was sometimes accused of twisting the facts, Boris Johnson knows there's no easier way to hook readers than to lead with Hitler.

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Austrian election could produce first EU far-right head of state

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria could elect the European Union's first far-right head of state on Sunday, with support for Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer buoyed by a migration crisis that has heightened fears about employment and security.

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Obama, bound for Vietnam, seeks to turn old foe into new partner

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday headed for his first visit to Vietnam, a trip aimed at sealing the transformation of an old enemy into a new partner to help counter China’s growing assertiveness in the region.

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EgyptAir jet sent smoke-alarm warnings before crash

PARIS/CAIRO (Reuters) - The EgyptAir jet which crashed in the Mediterranean on Thursday sent a series of warnings indicating that smoke had been detected on board, shortly before it disappeared off radar screens, French investigators said on Saturday.

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Islamic State calls for attacks on the West during Ramadan in audio message

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A new message purporting to come from the spokesman of Islamic State calls on followers to launch attacks on the United States and Europe during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins in early June.

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Afghan Taliban leader likely killed in U.S. drone strike: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour and another combatant likely were killed in a U.S. military drone strike in Pakistan authorized by U.S. President Barack Obama, a U.S. official said on Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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U.S defense secretary apologizes after American charged in Japanese woman's death

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter called his Japanese counterpart on Saturday to express regrets after an American working at a U.S. military base in Japan was arrested on suspicion of dumping the body of a Japanese woman.

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G7 united against Brexit but can only hope for an 'In' vote

SENDAI, Japan (Reuters) - Finance leaders of the Group of Seven industrial powers united over the weekend in wishing that Britain stays in the European Union, but acknowledged they could do little more than hope.

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Australian firm names Russia, Putin in MH17 compensation claim: report

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - An Australian law firm has filed a compensation claim against Russia and President Vladimir Putin in the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of families of victims of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17, shot down in 2014, media reported.

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Four killed, 90 injured in Baghdad Green Zone riots: hospitals

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least four people were killed and 90 injured among anti-corruption protesters who stormed Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on Friday, hospital sources said on Saturday.

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'One China' principle must be basis for relations with Taiwan: Xinhua

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Only by confirming the 'One China' principle can cross-strait authorities continue regular communications, a spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office said on Saturday, according to the state newswire Xinhua.

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Six killed in suspected Boko Haram raid on Niger village

NIAMEY (Reuters) - Six people were killed on Friday in a village in southern Niger in an attack thought to have been carried out by Boko Haram militants, the Defence Ministry said.

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Mexico approves extradition of drug boss Guzman to U.S.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico has approved the extradition of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the United States and has received guarantees the death penalty will not be sought against him, the foreign ministry said on Friday.

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U.S. says no agreement on joint air strikes with Russia in Syria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - There is no agreement between the United States and Russia to conduct joint air strikes in Syria, the U.S. State Department said on Friday, adding that it looked to Russia to stop truce violations by the Syrian government.

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Security forces fire on protesters in Baghdad's Green Zone

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Security forces fired tear gas and live bullets on Friday at protesters who stormed into Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, according to a Reuters witness and live video.

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Russia proposes joint Syria airstrikes with U.S.-led coalition from May 25

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has proposed to the U.S.-led coalition that they stage joint airstrikes on Syrian rebels including Nusra Front who are not observing the ceasefire, starting on May 25, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday.

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Obama's Hiroshima visit looks to future amid charges of selective amnesia

TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Japan and the United States are presenting U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Hiroshima as an affirmation of a strong alliance and a step towards world denuclearization, but critics see selective amnesia and paradoxes on nuclear policy.

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EU to make it easier to suspend visa-free travel amid immigration worries

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union interior ministers will back plans on Friday to make it easier and faster to suspend visa-free travel with any third country, officials said, amid deepening public concern about the scale of immigration into the bloc.

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Attacks suspect Abdeslam arrives at Paris court

PARIS (Reuters) - Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam arrived at the main Paris law court on Friday for his first hearing before French judges.

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China demands end to U.S. surveillance after aircraft intercept

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing demanded an end to U.S. surveillance near China on Thursday after two of its fighter jets carried out what the Pentagon said was an "unsafe" intercept of a U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea.

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Wary China watches as Taiwan inaugurates first woman president

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Tsai Ing-wen is to be inaugurated Taiwan's first woman president on Friday, with the export-driven economy on the ropes and wary Communist Party rulers in China watching for any move toward independence by an island it considers its own.

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Nigerian army going in to get Chibok girls, governor says

ABUJA (Reuters) - The Nigerian army is moving into a Boko Haram forest stronghold to rescue more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls after one managed to flee the jihadists holding them for over two years, a provincial governor said on Thursday.

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Second kidnapped 'Chibok girl' rescued: Nigeria army spokesman

YENAGOA, Nigeria (Reuters) - A second kidnapped girl more than two years ago in a raid on their school in Chibok town by Boko Haram militants has been rescued, a spokesman for the Nigerian army said on Thursday.

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Netanyahu pulls off coalition surprise to upend Israeli politics

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - "He's a magician, he's a magician," the partisan crowd chanted as a beaming Benjamin Netanyahu strode into his party headquarters a little over a year ago to declare a come-from-behind victory in Israel's election.

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Jihadists mobilize in Syria as peacemaking unravels

BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Jihadi militants in Syria including al Qaeda are mobilizing again for all-out war against President Bashar al-Assad, taking advantage of the collapse of peace talks to eclipse nationalist rival insurgents that signed on to a faltering truce.

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EU's Mogherini sees Russia sanctions being renewed

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini expects sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine to be renewed in July, she told a German newspaper on Thursday.

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Syrian govt forces, allies seize town near Damascus from rebels: monitoring group

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government forces and allies including Lebanese Hezbollah fighters seized a strategic town southeast of Damascus from insurgents on Thursday, a monitoring group said.

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Seven die in Afghanistan crash of Azerbaijan's Silk Way freight plane

BAKU (Reuters) - A freight plane of Azerbaijan's Silk Way airline crashed on Wednesday in Afghanistan, killing seven of its nine crew, Azerbaijan's civil aviation administration said.

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Chinese aircraft intercept U.S. reconnaissance plane over South China Sea: Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Chinese tactical aircraft carried out an "unsafe" intercept of a U.S. military aircraft on May 17, the Pentagon said in a statement on Wednesday.

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Bomb kills nine Iraqi soldiers during raid south of Baghdad

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Nine Iraqi soldiers were killed and nine more wounded on Wednesday when a house rigged with explosives blew up south of Baghdad during a raid of suspected Islamic State militants, two army sources said.

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Brazilian judge sentences Lula's ex-chief of staff to 23 years

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A one-time chief of staff for former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Wednesday for corruption, money-laundering and conspiracy in a vast bribery scandal at the state-run oil company.

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Iran's IRGC says many Iranians have volunteered to fight in Syria

ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Wednesday many Iranians have volunteered to fight in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad's war against "terrorism", the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

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Many Senate Democrats frustrated with slow U.S. Syrian refugee admissions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than half the Democrats in the Senate, including many of President Barack Obama's strongest supporters, signed a letter to him on Wednesday urging him to move more quickly to admit Syrian refugees into the United States.

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Venezuela blocks anti-Maduro march in Caracas, tear gas fired

CARACAS (Reuters) - Security forces fired tear gas on Wednesday to block an intended march by protesters demanding a recall referendum to end Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's socialist rule.

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Militant attacks force Bangladesh's gay community into hiding

DHAKA (Reuters) - Weeks after suspected Islamist militants hacked Bangladesh's most prominent gay rights activist to death in his apartment along with an associate, another friend received a chilling message that he was next in line.

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Afghan government nears peace deal with militant group

KABUL (Reuters) - A draft agreement that could lead to a peace deal between the Afghan government and a militant group linked by Washington to the Taliban and al Qaeda will be signed on Wednesday, a senior official said.

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Queen unveils British government's reform agenda ahead of EU vote

LONDON (Reuters) - Queen Elizabeth unveiled plans by British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday to overhaul prisons and help the poor under a social reform agenda he hopes to press after a referendum on European Union membership.

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Turkish plan to strip MPs' immunity could go to referendum

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's ruling AK Party has won initial support in parliament for a constitutional change that could see pro-Kurdish and other lawmakers prosecuted, but failed to secure a strong enough majority for now to avoid a referendum.

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Tight security in Hong Kong as top-ranked Chinese leader attends summit

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Thousands of police were deployed across Hong Kong on Wednesday as a top-ranked Beijing official addressed an economic summit, with tensions high amid calls for greater autonomy in the Chinese-ruled city or even independence from the mainland.

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Iraq's Shi'ite rivalries risk turning violent, weakening war on Islamic State

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A power struggle within Iraq's Shi'ite Muslim majority has intensified as attempts to form a new government flounder, threatening to turn violent and ruin U.S.-led efforts to defeat Islamic State.

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New police force finds old habits die hard in Ukraine

KIEV (Reuters) - The launch of Ukraine's new police patrol force last year sparked an internet craze of citizens posting selfies with newly recruited officers.

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Senate passes bill allowing Sept. 11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia

(Reuters) - The U.S. Senate passed legislation on Tuesday that would allow survivors and relatives of those killed in the Sept. 11 attacks to file lawsuits seeking damages against the government of Saudi Arabia.

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Three bombings in Baghdad kill 63: police, medical sources

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Three bombings killed at least 63 people and wounded more than 100 in Baghdad on Tuesday, police and medical sources said, extending the deadliest spate of attacks in the Iraqi capital so far this year.

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Pessimism pervades Syria talks aimed at salvaging peace process

VIENNA/AMMAN (Reuters) - Major powers sought at talks on Tuesday to reimpose a ceasefire in Syria and ensure aid reaches besieged areas, with Moscow and Washington deeply divided over the fate of President Bashar al-Assad and violence rumbling around the country.

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North Korea's new ad men try out pitches to new consumer class

PYONGYANG (Reuters) - "Pyongyang Spirit: A drink you won't forget after drinking once", reads the text of an ad for a clear, vodka-like North Korean alcohol.

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EU's Tusk calls Brexit advocate Boris Johnson's Hitler comments 'absurd'

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Boris Johnson, the leader of the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, showed "political amnesia" with his "absurd" comparison between the EU and Adolf Hitler's plan to rule the continent, the EU's Donald Tusk said on Tuesday.

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Germany's Steinmeier says Syria talks to focus on truce, aid

VIENNA (Reuters) - Major power talks on Syria aim to restore a truce across the country and get aid into besieged areas to encourage opposition groups to return to negotiations in Geneva, Germany's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

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EU's Tusk tells Turkey not to meddle with rules of migration deal

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union is ready to stick to its migration deal with Turkey but Ankara should not seek to change the rules after they had already been agreed, a top EU official said on Tuesday.

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Turkish police warn of possible Islamic State attacks: media

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish police have issued a nationwide warning about possible Islamic State attacks on Thursday's national holiday, state media said, with military facilities seen as targets after the army stepped up attacks on the militants in Syria.

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Australian police raid properties connected to Islamic State sailing group

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian counter-terrorism police on Tuesday carried out raids across Melbourne connected with five men accused of planning to travel to Syria to join Islamic State via a journey that would start with a motor boat trip from Australia to Indonesia.

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Oil sand work camps evacuated as Alberta wildfire moves north

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - A massive wildfire burning around the oil sands hub of Fort McMurray was growing and moving rapidly north late on Monday, forcing firefighters to shift their focus to protecting major oil sand facilities north of the city, officials said.

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U.S., Russia stalemate on Syria frustrates European powers

UNITED NATIONS/VIENNA (Reuters) - The Obama administration's failure to convince Moscow that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must go is fueling European frustration at being sidelined in efforts to end the country's five-year civil war, diplomats say.Some diplomats and analysts question whether the United States has misread Russia's desire to keep Assad in power.

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Cuba and United States draw up roadmap for talks to deepen detente

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba and the United States aim to reach new agreements on cooperation in law enforcement, health and agriculture over the coming months, a senior Cuban official said on Monday, as part of the former Cold War foes' drive to normalize ties.

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Anger, fear sweeps Turkish border town under attack from Islamic State

KILIS, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkish shopkeeper Mehmet Baykal knew he had less than 10 seconds to dive under his desk when he heard another rocket being fired from Islamic State-held territory across the border in Syria.

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Pope criticizes West for trying to export own brand of democracy to Iraq, Libya

ROME (Reuters) - Pope Francis criticized Western powers for trying to export their own brand of democracy to countries such as Iraq and Libya without respecting indigenous political cultures, according to an interview published on Monday.

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Brazil's new leader quells concerns about prosecutor general

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's interim president, Michel Temer, on Monday said he would continue a tradition of nominating a prosecutor general who comes recommended by peers, allaying concerns about judicial independence.

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Bloodshed blurs Middle East borders set 100 years ago by UK-French pact

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A century after Britain and France secretly mapped out a Middle East they would control upon defeating the Ottomans in World War One, its borders have been blurred by sectarian bloodshed - and some in the region see opportunity in the chaos.

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Trump says unlikely to have good relationship with UK's Cameron

LONDON (Reuters) - Donald Trump said he was unlikely to have a good relationship with David Cameron because the British prime minister cast the U.S. presidential candidate as "divisive, stupid and wrong" for proposing a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States.

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Turkish, coalition forces hit Islamic State targets in Syria, kill 27: media

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish and U.S.-led coalition forces struck Islamic State targets north of the Syrian city of Aleppo on Sunday, killing 27 fighters, state-run Anadolu Agency and other media reported.

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Suicide bombing hits southern Yemen city of Mukalla: residents

DUBAI (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up at a security headquarters in the southern Yemeni city of Mukalla on Monday, residents said, killing and wounding several people a day after an Islamic State suicide bombing killed 25 police recruits there.

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Bomb blast in Istanbul wounds four people: media

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A bomb blast in the Istanbul district of Maltepe wounded four people overnight, Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Monday.

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Kabul locked down as Afghan authorities face power line protest

KABUL (Reuters) - Stacked-up shipping containers blocked the streets leading to Kabul's government and diplomatic area on Monday as Afghan authorities prepared for a rally by thousands of members of the Hazara minority over a multi-million dollar power line project.

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Netanyahu tells France's Ayrault he still opposes peace conference

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told France's foreign minister on Sunday that Israel remained opposed to a French initiative for an international conference to try to revive peace talks.

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Islamic State on the defensive, territory shrinking in Syria and Iraq: U.S. official

AMMAN (Reuters) - Islamic State has not gained significant ground since it took the Iraqi city of Ramadi a year ago, which it then lost in December, as the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and Syria has been helped by better intelligence and better equipped local forces, a senior U.S. official said on Sunday.

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Kerry meets Saudi king to discuss Syria before Vienna talks

JEDDAH (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Saudi Arabia's King Salman in Jeddah on Sunday to discuss the fragile truce in Syria, before broader talks with Russia, Iran and other countries in Vienna on Tuesday.

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Death toll in Yemen's Mukalla suicide bombing rises to 25: sources

DUBAI (Reuters) - The death toll in a suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State targeting new recruits at a security compound in Yemen's Mukalla on Sunday has risen to 25, local medical and security sources said.

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IS attacks at factory north of Baghdad kill 11

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Bomb attacks claimed by Islamic State against a state-run cooking gas factory in Baghdad's northern outskirts on Sunday killed at least 11 people, including policemen, and wounded 21 others, police sources said.

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Iraq takes aim at media as security forces struggle to contain strife

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's Shi'ite-led authorities have shut the offices of two television channels popular with Sunni Iraqis and ordered a satirical show off air, tightening control over the media as political tensions rise in Baghdad.

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Beijing blasts Pentagon report on Chinese military as damaging trust

BEIJING (Reuters) - China condemned the U.S. Defense Department's annual report on the Chinese military on Sunday, calling it deliberate distortion that has "severely damaged" mutual trust.

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Brazil rebuffs Latin American leftists over Rousseff suspension

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil's interim government dismissed criticism by leftist countries in Latin America, including Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia, over the impeachment process of Dilma Rousseff, who was suspended as president by the senate.

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Syrian forces retake Deir al-Zor hospital after 'major' Islamic State offensive

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government forces retook a hospital in Deir al-Zor after Islamic State attacked it on Saturday following a dawn offensive by the militants on the besieged eastern Syrian city, a war monitor and state media said.

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UK's Cameron struggles to make Britons believe his EU message: poll

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron is struggling to convince voters he is telling the truth about why Britain should stay in the European Union and his main "Out" rival Boris Johnson is doing a better job, an opinion poll found.

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German government plans to spend 93.6 billion euros on refugees by end 2020: Spiegel

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's government expects to spend around 93.6 billion euros by the end of 2020 on costs related to the refugee crisis, a magazine said on Saturday, citing a draft from the federal finance ministry for negotiations with the country's 16 states.

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Turkish shelling, coalition air strike kills 45 IS militants in Syria: Anadolu

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The Turkish military and U.S.-led coalition forces killed 45 Islamic State militants in shelling and an air strike north of the Syrian city of Aleppo, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Saturday.

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Venezuela president declares emergency, cites U.S., domestic 'threats'

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared a 60-day state of emergency on Friday due to what he called plots from within the OPEC country and the United States to topple his leftist government.

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Hezbollah says 'takfiri groups' behind commander's death in Syria: Al Manar TV

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah said on Saturday "takfiri groups" were responsible for a blast which killed the group's top military commander Mustafa Badreddine.

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Obama toasts Nordic nations after Russia-focused summit

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama toasted Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland at a star-studded state dinner on Friday, lauding the nations for their global influence on civil rights, humanitarian issues and curbing climate change.

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U.S. sees China boosting military presence after island-building spree

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China is expected to add substantial military infrastructure, including surveillance systems, to artificial islands in the South China Sea this year, giving it long-term "civil-military bases" in the contested waters, the Pentagon said on Friday.

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For Iran and Hezbollah, a costly week in Syria

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A rebel onslaught on the town of Khan Touman near Aleppo last week delivered one of the biggest battlefield setbacks yet to the coalition of foreign Shi'ite fighters waging war on behalf of Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

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China says hopes U.S., Vietnam ties benefit regional peace

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is happy to see Vietnam normalizing relations with the United States and hopes it benefits regional peace, China said on Friday as the United States considers lifting a three-decade-old arms embargo on Vietnam.

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Turkish military says 15 PKK militants killed in southeast: NTV

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Fifteen militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) were killed in clashes in Turkey's southeastern Sirnak province, broadcaster NTV reported, citing the Turkish military.

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Syrian Observatory: air strike kills 16 Nusra militants

BEIRUT (Reuters) - An air strike hit a Nusra Front meeting in northwestern Syria, killing 16 senior members of the al Qaeda-linked group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday.

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Shooting in northern Iraqi town kills 12 - police, hospital sources

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Three gunmen opened fire overnight on a cafe in northern Iraq where young men had gathered at the start of the weekend holiday, killing at least 12 and wounding 25, police and hospital sources said on Friday.

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China, U.S. should manage South China Sea differences constructively - Chinese general

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China and the United States should manage their differences over disputed waters in the South China Sea constructively, one of China's top military officials has said.

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Lebanon's Hezbollah says top commander killed in Israeli air strike

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Lebanese group Hezbollah said on Friday one of its top commanders, Mustafa Badreddine, had been killed in an Israeli air strike at the Lebanese-Syrian border this week.

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U.S. troops stationed at Libya outposts: Washington Post

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. special operations troops have been stationed at two outposts in Libya since late last year to try to enlist local support for a possible offensive against Islamic State, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing U.S. officials.

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Street protests magnify political crisis in Baghdad after deadly bombings

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A day after the year's deadliest attack in the Iraqi capital, supporters of a Shi'ite cleric took to the streets of Baghdad on Thursday to denounce the government for failing to protect them, escalating political confrontation that could doom the ruling coalition.

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Turkish artillery, U.S.-led coalition jets pound Islamic State in Syria: sources

KILIS, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkish artillery pounded Islamic State targets in northern Syria overnight and the U.S.-led coalition carried out air strikes, killing 28 militants near a Turkish border town repeatedly hit by rocket fire, Turkish military sources said.

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Turkey withdraws Bangladesh ambassador after execution of Islamist: Erdogan

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey has withdrawn its ambassador to Bangladesh, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday, following the execution of an Islamist party leader this week for genocide and other crimes committed during a 1971 war of independence.

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Suicide attacks kill two west of Baghdad following bloody day

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers attacked a police station west of Baghdad on Thursday, leaving two security personnel dead and eight others wounded, police and medics said.

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U.S. to activate $800 million missile defense site in Romania

DEVESELU, Romania (Reuters) - The United States will switch on a $800 million missile shield in Romania on Thursday, part of an umbrella from Greenland to the Azores against Iranian rockets that Russia aims to knock out its nuclear weapons.

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Australia defends U.S. in latest South China Sea dispute

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia backed the United States on Thursday in its so-called freedom of navigation operation close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea, a patrol China has denounced as an illegal threat to peace.

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U.S., Britain, France block Russia bid to blacklist Syria rebels

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Britain, the United States, France and Ukraine blocked a Russian proposal at the United Nations to blacklist Syrian rebel groups Jaish al-Islam and Ahrar al-Sham for links to Islamic State and al Qaeda militants, diplomats said on Wednesday.

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Australian PM Turnbull named in Panama Papers: AFR

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been named in the Panama Papers as a former director of a British Virgin Islands company set up to exploit a Siberian gold prospect, the Australian Financial Review reported on Thursday.

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Quietly, Vietnam hosts arms gathering attended by U.S. companies

HANOI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vietnam hosts a defense symposium this week attended by top American arms manufacturers, ahead of a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama and as Washington weighs whether to lift an arms embargo on its former enemy.

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Temporary housing first step as wildfire-ravaged Fort McMurray recovers

FORT MCMURRAY/LAC LA BICHE, Alberta (Reuters) - Reconstructing Fort McMurray will be easier than first feared since much of the city’s critical infrastructure remains intact but the once booming oil town will be smaller than before, according to its mayor.

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Iraq says Islamic State control shrinks to 14 percent of its territory

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq said on Wednesday its U.S.-backed military campaign against Islamic State had retaken around two-thirds of the territory seized by the militants in their lightning sweep across the country's north and west in 2014.

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Suicide bomber strikes Yemen military convoy, kills eight: official

ADEN (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least eight people and wounded 17, including a senior commander, when he rammed a car laden with explosives into a government military convoy traveling in eastern Yemen on Wednesday, a security official said.

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Western Libyan forces prepare attack on Islamic State stronghold

MISRATA, Libya (Reuters) - Forces in western Libya are preparing to advance on the city of Sirte, seized by Islamic State last year, their spokesman said, pushing ahead with plans for a counter-attack after the Islamists made territorial gains in the last week.

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Turkey has killed 3,000 Islamic State fighters in Syria, Iraq: Erdogan

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey has killed 3,000 Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, adding that no other country is fighting Islamic State as Ankara is.

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Car bomb in Baghdad's Sadr City kills 50: police, medics

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A car bomb claimed by Islamic State in a Shi'ite Muslim district of Baghdad killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 60 others on Wednesday, Iraqi police and hospital sources said.

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London police say abandoned item on bus was non-suspicious

LONDON (Reuters) - London's Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday that officers had established that a suitcase abandoned on a bus was non-suspicious.

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Brazil Senate set to vote on Rousseff impeachment

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's Senate will vote on Wednesday on whether to put President Dilma Rousseff on trial for breaking budget rules, amid expectations she will become the country's first leader in more than two decades to be removed from office.

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At least 10 killed in Afghan suicide bombing

KABUL (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed and 23 wounded on Tuesday when a suicide bomber blew up his car near the house of a pro-government militia commander in the province of Nangarhar, a provincial official said.

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China scrambles fighters as U.S. sails warship near Chinese-claimed reef

BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) - China scrambled fighter jets on Tuesday as a U.S. navy ship sailed close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea, a patrol China denounced as an illegal threat to peace which only went to show its defense installations in the area were necessary.

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Obama to visit Hiroshima, won't apologize for World War II bombing

WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) - Barack Obama will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima in Japan later this month, but he will not apologize for the United States' dropping of an atomic bomb on the city in World War Two, the White House said on Tuesday.

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Man, said to shout 'Allahu Akbar', knifes Munich rail passengers

MUNICH (Reuters) - A man attacked passengers with a knife at a train station in the Munich area in southern Germany early on Tuesday, leaving four people with life-threatening injuries, Bavarian radio reported.

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Aleppo fighting rages as U.S., Russia try to revive Syria truce

BEIRUT/PARIS (Reuters) - Syrian government forces and their allies fought insurgents near Aleppo on Monday and jets conducted raids around a nearby town seized by Islamist rebels, a monitoring group said, as Syria's military said a ceasefire in Aleppo would be extended by 48 hours starting on Tuesday.

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Brazil Senate presses on with impeachment, defying house speaker

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's Senate forged ahead with impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff on Monday, rejecting a surprise decision by the acting speaker of the lower house, who tried to annul a key vote just days before the president could be suspended from office.

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Senior Islamic State official in Iraq killed in air strike: Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An air strike by a U.S.-led coalition killed a senior Islamic State official in Iraq, a Pentagon spokesman said on Monday.

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Pentagon report reveals confusion among U.S. troops over Afghan mission

KABUL (Reuters) - Amid fierce fighting after the Taliban captured the northern Afghan city of Kunduz last year, U.S. special forces advisers repeatedly asked their commanders how far they were allowed to go to help local troops retake the city.

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Maverick mayor Duterte set to clinch Philippines presidency

MANILA (Reuters) - Firebrand city mayor Rodrigo Duterte looked virtually certain to become the Philippines' next president as election results poured in on Monday, confirmation that the political outsider's pledges to crush crime and corruption had resonated with voters.

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Canada wildfire explodes in size, more evacuees reaching south

GREGOIRE LAKE, Alberta (Reuters) - A raging Canadian wildfire grew explosively on Saturday as hot, dry winds pushed the blaze across the energy heartland of Alberta and smoke forced the shutdown of a major oil sands project.

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Turkey's Erdogan pours cold water on hopes of progress on EU deal

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday poured more cold water on hopes for progress with Europe on a deal to curb migration, suggesting Ankara would not change its anti-terrorism laws just to meet European Union requirements.

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Saudi shake-up rolls on with big reshuffle of economic posts

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Saturday replaced his veteran oil minister and restructured some big ministries in a major reshuffle apparently intended to support a wide-ranging economic reform programme unveiled last week.

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U.S. embassy in Kabul warns of kidnap threat

KABUL (Reuters) - The United States embassy in Kabul issued an emergency security warning to U.S. citizens on Thursday after an attempted kidnapping of an American and a number of other foreigners in the Afghan capital earlier in the week.

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'No boots on the ground' has its limits as U.S. Navy SEAL is killed in Iraq

TEL ASQOF, Iraq (Reuters) - A pickup truck races toward a burning village in northern Iraq, slamming to a halt behind an armored convoy that forms the only barrier between U.S. forces and Islamic State.

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Britain's Labour set to take London after bitter mayoral campaign

LONDON (Reuters) - Sadiq Khan, a Muslim opposition lawmaker, is on course to be elected London's mayor on Thursday, loosening the ruling Conservatives' hold on Britain's financial center after a campaign marred by charges of anti-Semitism and extremism.

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Nauru urges calm among desperate asylum seekers after self-immolations

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The tiny South Pacific island of Nauru urged calm among 500 asylum seekers held in detention on behalf of Australia after two set fire to themselves and others self-harmed.

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China and Russia to hold anti-missile drill after U.S., South Korea talk defense

BEIJING (Reuters) - China and Russia will hold their first joint computer-assisted anti-missile drill, state media said on Thursday, after the United States and South Korea discussed an anti-missile defense system for the South to counter threats from North Korea.

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Turkish ruling party preparing to replace PM Davutoglu: officials

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's ruling party is set to replace Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu at an extraordinary congress in the coming weeks, officials said on Wednesday, signaling the end of his term as premier and plunging the country into political uncertainty.

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Rousseff's woes mount as Brazilian senator backs impeachment trial

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's chances of remaining in office plummeted on Wednesday after a key senator recommended the leftist leader face an impeachment trial and a top prosecutor said she should be included in a vast corruption investigation.

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Brazil Senate report recommends Rousseff impeachment trial

BRASILIA (Reuters) - The senator charged with studying President Rousseff's impeachment recommended on Wednesday that she be put on trial for breaking budget laws, bringing the embattled leftist leader one step closer to suspension from office.

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EU proposes scheme to share out asylum seekers

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission proposed a system to distribute asylum seekers across the EU on Wednesday that aims to ease the load on states like Greece and Italy but drew immediate condemnation from governments in Eastern Europe.

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Islamic State seeks news blackout in Mosul as Iraqi army nears

MAKHMOUR, Iraq (Reuters) - For Iraqis living in the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul, news is dwindling about the U.S.-backed army massing to the south for an assault on the city that could begin this year.

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U.S. gathers allies on next steps in Islamic State fight

STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - The United States gathered defense ministers from 11 other countries for talks on Wednesday about ways to strengthen the campaign against Islamic State, a day after a U.S. Navy SEAL was killed in Iraq during an attack by the militant group.

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Canadian wildfire forces evacuation order for entire city

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - The Canadian province of Alberta raced to evacuate the entire population of Fort McMurray where an uncontrolled wildfire was taking hold in the heart of the country's oil sands region, with dry winds forecast for Wednesday that could fuel the blaze.

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Air raids hit east of Damascus after 'calm' expires: Observatory

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Air strikes targeted a Syrian rebel-held area east of Damascus on Wednesday after an agreement aimed at halting the fighting there expired at midnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

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Turkey approves law among final hurdles for EU visa deal

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's parliament has approved a law on setting up a panel to monitor discipline for law enforcement officials, one of the last hurdles remaining before the country wins visa-free access to Europe for its nationals.

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Top prosecutor asks to investigate Brazil president: media

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's top prosecutor requested that President Dilma Rousseff be investigated for trying to obstruct a sweeping corruption investigation involving state-run oil firm Petrobras, local media reported late on Tuesday.

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Israeli troops kill Palestinian driver who rammed soldiers in West Bank: army

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian driver who rammed his vehicle into three Israeli soldiers, injuring them, on a road in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, the army said.

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Israeli who abducted, killed Palestinian teen gets life term

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An Israeli man convicted of murdering a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem, a crime that helped trigger the 2014 Gaza war, was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison.

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North Korea capital gears up for congress; South fears nuclear test

PYONGYANG (Reuters) - North Korea's rain-soaked capital was festooned on Tuesday with banners celebrating leader Kim Jong Un ahead of a ruling party congress, as rival South Korea expressed concern that Pyongyang could conduct a nuclear test before or during the rare event.

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Islamic State forces kill U.S. armed forces member in Iraq

STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters killed a member of the U.S. armed forces in northern Iraq on Tuesday, when they pushed through a forward line of Iraqi Kurdish forces, officials said.

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Rockets kill three women in Aleppo hospital: Iikhbariya TV

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Three woman were killed and 17 people wounded in a hospital hit by rebel rocket fire in a government-held part of the Syrian city of Aleppo on Tuesday, state-run Syrian news channel Ikhbariya said.

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Islamic State breaches peshmerga defenses north of Mosul

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State militants attacked Kurdish peshmerga forces on multiple fronts in northern Iraq on Tuesday, breaching their defenses and briefly taking over a town, military sources said.

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Clashes near Damascus despite truce there, five killed in Aleppo

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Fighting and government shelling erupted east of Damascus overnight on Tuesday despite a temporary truce announced by the Syrian army in that area, a war monitor said.

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Solar-powered plane lands in Arizona on round-the-world flight

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A solar-powered airplane midway through a historic bid to circle the globe completed the tenth leg of its journey on Monday, landing in Arizona after a 16-hour flight from California, the project team said.

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Kerry aims to extend truce to Syria's Aleppo as ceasefire unravels

AMMAN/GENEVA (Reuters) - Washington and Moscow said on Monday they were working hard to extend a truce in Syria to Aleppo, the divided northern city where a sharp escalation of violence in recent weeks has left a ceasefire in tatters and torpedoed peace talks.

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NATO weighs four battalions in Eastern states to deter Russia: U.S.

STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - The NATO alliance is weighing rotating four battalions of troops through Eastern member states, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday, in the latest proposal by allies to guard against aggressive behavior by Russia.

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U.S. says Iraq's PM in 'strong position' amid political unrest

STUTTGART, Germany (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi is in a strong position despite political unrest in Iraq, thanks in part to his battlefield successes and his commitment to a multi-sectarian state, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday.

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Israel to reopen second crossing for trucks into Gaza

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel plans to reopen a second border point for commercial traffic into the Gaza Strip, an official said on Monday, a step in gradually easing the blockade imposed on the Palestinian enclave since 2007.

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U.S. cruise ship pulls into Havana on historic Cuba voyage

HAVANA (Reuters) - The first U.S. cruise ship to arrive in Cuba in decades received a warm welcome on Monday from Havana residents who gathered at the wharf in the colonial old city as hundreds of Americans waved from the decks of the vessel.

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Bombs in Baghdad kill 14, including some Shi'ite pilgrims

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Three bombs went off in and around Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 14 people, including Shi'ite Muslim worshippers conducting an annual pilgrimage inside the capital, police and medical sources said.

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Bombs in Baghdad kill nine, wound 26: sources

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Three bombs went off in and around Baghdad on Monday, killing nine people and wounding 26 others, police and medics said.

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Islamic State boosts attacks in response to territorial losses: IHS

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State attacks have increased this year, particularly in Iraq and Syria as the group responds to substantial territorial losses, a U.S.-based analysis firm IHS said on Sunday.

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Drones, Turkish artillery hit Islamic State in Syria, 34 dead: military

ANKARA (Reuters) - Shelling by Turkish artillery and drones which took off from southern Turkey struck Islamic State targets in Syria on Sunday, killing 34 militants, the Turkish military said.

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South Korea revives GPS backup project after blaming North for jamming

SEOUL/LONDON (Reuters) - South Korea has revived a project to build a backup ship navigation system that would be difficult to hack after a recent wave of GPS signal jamming attacks it blamed on North Korea disrupted fishing vessel operations, officials say.

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Kerry says hopes for progress in Geneva talks on Syria ceasefire

GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday he hoped to make progress in discussions in Geneva over the next two days toward renewing a cessation of hostilities agreement throughout Syria and resuming peace talks to end the fighting.

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Iraqi leaders struggle to break crisis, hundreds protest in Green Zone

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other political leaders promised on Sunday to deliver on radical reforms and stem a deepening crisis as protesters held an unprecedented sit-in inside Baghdad's heavily fortified government district.

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Suspected Islamic State suicide bomber kills two police in Turkish southeast: sources

GAZIANTEP, Turkey (Reuters) - Two police officers were killed and 23 people wounded in a suicide car bomb attack on police headquarters in the south- eastern Turkish city of Gaziantep, the governor and police sources said, in one of two attacks on security forces on Sunday.

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Russia: talks taking place on including Aleppo in Syria's 'regime of calm' - agencies

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Sunday that talks are taking place to include Syria's Aleppo province in the temporary "regime of calm" lull in fighting, Russian agencies cited a senior Defence Ministry official as saying.

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Islamic State car bombs kill at least 14 in southern Iraq

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two car bombs claimed by Islamic State killed at least 14 people and wounded 37 others in the center of the southern Iraqi city of Samawa on Sunday, police said.

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Philippine island rebels free 10 Indonesian hostages

MANILA (Reuters) - Islamist militants in the southern Philippines released 10 Indonesian hostages on Sunday, ending a month-long ordeal during which a kidnapped Canadian held by the same group was beheaded after a ransom deadline passed.

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Yemen's Houthis seize military base, endangering peace talks

CAIRO (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthi movement and its armed allies seized a military base north of the capital Sanaa on Sunday, dealing a setback to a shaky ceasefire and peace talks in Kuwait aimed at ending a year-long war.

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