Five dead, around 100 rescued after fire on Indonesia tourist boat

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Five people were killed and around 100 people rescued on Sunday after a fire ripped through a boat carrying tourists to islands north of the Indonesian capital Jakarta, authorities said.

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North Korea's Kim says close to test launch of ICBM

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Sunday that the isolated nuclear-capable country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

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Two suicide attackers kill at least two in Tartous: Syrian state TV

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers detonated their explosives, killing at least two security officers in the Syrian coastal city of Tartous, Syrian state television reported after midnight on Sunday.

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One attacker still inside Istanbul nightclub: CNN Turk

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - One attacker was still inside an Istanbul nightclub after an armed attack early on Sunday and police special forces were preparing an operation to enter the building, broadcaster CNN Turk said.

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U.N. Security Council welcomes Syria truce, rebels warn they could abandon it

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council on Saturday welcomed a ceasefire in the Syrian civil war, but rebel groups threatened to abandon the two-day-old truce if violations persisted.

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Italy to seek to track down and deport migrants with no right to stay

ROME (Reuters) - Italy will seek to deport more migrants who have no right to be in the country and will open new detention centers to hold them before their expulsion, according to a written directive and a ministry source.

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Caution marks Iraqi army advance against Islamic State north of Mosul

SADA, Iraq (Reuters) - The earth shook three times with the impact of air strikes targeting Islamic State positions north of Mosul. Only then did the Iraqi troops assembled on the edge of the small farming village advance.

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Syria rebels say will consider truce 'void' if government violations continue

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebel groups said on Saturday they would consider a ceasefire deal "null and void" if government forces and their allies continued to violate it.

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Two blasts in central Baghdad kill at least 21: police, medics

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two bombs exploded at a busy market in central Baghdad on Saturday killing at least 21 people and wounding more than 40 others, police and medics said.

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China considering strong measures to contain Taiwan - sources

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's military has become alarmed by what it sees as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's support of Taiwan and is considering strong measures to prevent the island from moving toward independence, sources with ties to senior military officers said.

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European cities ramp up security for New Year after Berlin attack

BERLIN/PARIS (Reuters) - European capitals tightened security on Friday ahead of New Year's celebrations, erecting concrete barriers in city centres and stepping up police numbers after the Islamic State attack in Berlin last week that killed 12 people.

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Iraqi forces face Islamic State car bombs, fierce resistance in south Mosul

NEAR MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces faced car bombs and fierce resistance from Islamic State militants in southern Mosul on Friday, the second day of a renewed push to take back the city after fighting stalled for several weeks.

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Taiwan announces U.S. itinerary for president, upsetting China

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will transit through Houston and San Francisco during her January visit to allies in Latin America, her office said Friday, prompting China to repeat a call for the U.S. to block any such stopover.

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Duterte delegates Philippines into economic sweet spot but misgivings rising

MANILA (Reuters) - After six months at the helm in the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte has been touting just two achievements of his presidency - a vicious war on drugs and a surprise alliance with his country's bitter rival, China.

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Cubans surf the web at home in Havana pilot project

HAVANA (Reuters) - Downtown Havana resident Margarita Marquez says she received a special Christmas gift this year: web access at home, a rarity in a country with one of the lowest internet penetration rates in the world.

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Syria ceasefire begins, but is shaky with early clashes

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Russia and Turkey which back opposing sides in the conflict, got off to a shaky start after midnight on Friday (2200 GMT on Thursday) in the latest attempt to end nearly six years of bloodshed.

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U.S. expels 35 Russian diplomats, closes two compounds: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States expelled 35 Russian diplomats and closed two Russian compounds in New York and Maryland in response to a campaign of harassment against American diplomats in Moscow, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.

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Obama sanctions Russia for intervening in 2016 election

HONOLULU (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday authorized a series of sanctions against Russia for intervening in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and warned of more action to come.

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Russian embassy in Damascus hit by mortar shell again

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's embassy in Damascus was hit by a mortar shell on Thursday afternoon, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

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Philippines' Duterte calls U.S. envoys 'spies' over alleged ouster plot

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte derided U.S. ambassadors as "spies" on Thursday, responding to a media report of an alleged American plot to destabilize his government, a job he said some envoys were appointed solely to do.

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U.S. coalition says senior Islamic State commander Kuwaiti killed in Syria

BEIRUT (Reuters) - One of Islamic State's top commanders in Syria has been killed in a U.S.-led coalition air strike, the coalition's spokesman said on Thursday, corroborating an earlier report.

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Turkey aims to establish Syria ceasefire before new year, foreign minister says

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey aims to establish a ceasefire in Syria before the new year, and will act together with Russia as a guarantor of the deal, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday.

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In parting shot at Israel, Kerry warns Middle East peace in jeopardy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday said Israel's building of settlements on occupied land was jeopardizing Middle East peace, voicing unusually frank frustration with America's longtime ally weeks before he is due to leave office.

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Philippine leader says once threw man from helicopter, would do it again

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened corrupt government officials with the prospect of being thrown out of a helicopter mid-air, warning he has done it himself before and had no qualms about doing it again.

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Iraqi forces launch fresh advance against Islamic State inside Mosul

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi security forces launched a fresh advance on Thursday against Islamic State militants in several southeastern districts of Mosul, where the fight had been stalled for about a month, Interior Ministry officials said.

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Israel's attorney-general orders criminal probe against PM Netanyahu: TV

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's attorney-general has ordered police to open a criminal investigation in two unspecified matters involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Channel 10 television said on Wednesday.

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Through reclusive Wa, China's reach extends into Suu Kyi's Myanmar

PANGSAN, Myanmar (Reuters) - China is extending its sway over an autonomous enclave run by Myanmar's most powerful ethnic armed group, sources in the region told Reuters, bolstering Beijing's role in the peace process that is the signature policy of Aung San Suu Kyi.

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U.S. set to announce response to Russian election hacking: sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration plans to announce on Thursday a series of retaliatory measures against Russia for hacking into U.S. political institutions and individuals and leaking information in an effort to help President-elect Donald Trump and other Republican candidates, two U.S. officials said on Wednesday.

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Turkey and Russia have ceasefire plan for Syria, says Ankara

ANKARA/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Turkey and Russia have prepared an agreement for a ceasefire in Syria, Turkey's foreign minister said on Wednesday, adding that Ankara would not give up its opposition to President Bashar al-Assad staying on as leader.

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Mexico eyes border, migration as leverage in talks with Trump

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico aims to defend free trade with the United States by using border security and immigration policy to gain leverage in talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump after he takes office next month, senior officials say.

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Doping: Russia officials admit sports doping, say not state-sponsored: New York Times

(Reuters) - Russian officials for the first time have admitted to mass doping in the country's sports system but dismissed suggestions that the "institutional conspiracy" was state-sponsored, the New York Times reported.

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Vote on hundreds of new Israeli homes in East Jerusalem canceled: city official

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A Jerusalem municipal committee canceled plans to vote on Wednesday on approving permits for the construction of nearly 500 homes for Israelis in East Jerusalem, a city official said.

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Turkish military "neutralises" 44 Islamic State militants in northern Syria

ANKARA (Reuters) - The Turkish military said on Wednesday it had "neutralised" 44 Islamic State militants and wounded 117 as part of its operation in the northern Syrian town of al-Bab.

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Explosion in Afghan capital Kabul causes some casualties: police

KABUL (Reuters) - An explosion went off in a crowded area of the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Wednesday, causing some casualties, witnesses said, while a police officer said it appeared to have been a bomb attack aimed at a member of parliament.

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Obama, Japan's Abe to show solidarity in Pearl Harbor visit

HONOLULU (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will use a symbolic joint visit to Pearl Harbor to highlight the strength of the U.S.-Japan alliance on Tuesday, weeks before Republican Donald Trump takes over at the White House.

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Israel pressing ahead with settlements after U.N. vote

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Jerusalem municipality, undeterred by a U.N. anti-settlement resolution, is due to consider on Wednesday requests for construction permits for hundreds of new homes for Israelis in areas that Israel captured in 1967 and annexed to the city.

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Russia, Pakistan, China warn of increased Islamic State threat in Afghanistan

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia, China and Pakistan warned on Tuesday that the influence of Islamic State (IS) was growing in Afghanistan and that the security situation there was deteriorating.

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U.S.-backed Syrian force hopes to get anti-aircraft missiles

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A U.S.-backed alliance of militias fighting Islamic State hopes a U.S. decision to ease some restrictions on arming groups in Syria will lead to them getting anti-aircraft missiles, its spokesman said on Tuesday.

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Russia calls U.S. move to supply Syria rebels weapons a hostile act: RIA

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday it viewed a U.S. decision to ease restrictions on weapons supplies to Syrian rebels as a "hostile act" which threatened the safety of Russian warplanes and military personnel, the RIA news agency reported.

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Japan's Abe pays respects at Hawaii memorials on eve of Pearl Harbor trip

HONOLULU (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday stopped at several memorials in Hawaii, one day before he visits the site of the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor during a trip intended to show a strong alliance between his country and the United States.

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Russia finds black box from military plane crashed in the Black Sea: TASS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A black box has been found in the wreckage of a Russian military plane that crashed into the Black Sea on Sunday, killing all 92 on board, the TASS news agency reported on Tuesday citing a law enforcement source.

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Taiwan says Chinese carrier heading towards Hainan

TAIPEI (Reuters) - A group of Chinese warships led by the country's sole aircraft carrier is heading towards China's southern island province of Hainan through the South China Sea, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, in what Beijing describes as a routine drill.

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Syrian army escalates campaign to capture Damascus water supply

AMMAN (Reuters) - The Syrian army escalated aerial bombing of a rebel-held valley northwest of Damascus in an offensive begun last week to recapture the strategic area where a major spring provides most of the capital's water supplies, rebels and residents said on Tuesday.

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Human error led to Colombia soccer plane crash: authorities

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Errors by the pilot, airline and Bolivian regulators are to blame for a plane crash in Colombia that killed 71 people last month, including most of Brazil's Chapecoense soccer team, Colombia aviation authorities said on Monday.

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Exclusive: Fresh advance in east Mosul to begin within days - U.S. commander

EAST OF MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces will resume their push against Islamic State inside Mosul in the coming days, a U.S. battlefield commander said, in a new phase of the two-month-old operation that will see American troops deployed closer to the front line in the city.

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Netanyahu seeks to rally Israelis around him in anti-Obama assault

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Benjamin Netanyahu has been unrelenting in his criticism of the Obama administration over what he condemned as its "shameful" decision not to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a halt to Israeli settlement-building.

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Friend of South Korea's impeached Park 'says sorry' for scandal

SEOUL (Reuters) - The detained friend of impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye, at the center of a corruption scandal engulfing Park's administration, said she was sorry on Monday when questioned by a special parliamentary committee, an opposition MP said.

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Chinese carrier enters South China Sea amid renewed tension

TAIPEI (Reuters) - A group of Chinese warships led by the country's sole aircraft carrier entered the top half of the South China Sea on Monday after passing south of Taiwan, the self-ruled island's Defense Ministry said of what China has termed a routine exercise.

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Russia mourns 92 killed in Black Sea jet crash, hunts for black box

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia held a national day of mourning on Monday, a day after a Syria-bound military plane crashed into the Black Sea killing all 92 people on board, and expanded a search operation to try to recover passengers' bodies and the jet's black box.

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Israel, angered by anti-settlement U.N. vote, summons foreign ambassadors

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel summoned the ambassadors of 10 nations to Jerusalem to reprimand them on Sunday and had more harsh words for the Obama administration over a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an end to settlement-building.

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Magnitude 7.7 quake strikes Chile, tsunami warning issued

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile issued a tsunami warning and evacuation order for southern coastal areas after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 struck 225 km (140 miles) southwest of Puerto Montt in southern Chile on Sunday.

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China's aircraft carrier to drill in Western Pacific

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's first aircraft carrier will carry out drills in the Western Pacific, in what the navy called part of routine exercises, amid renewed tension over self-ruled Taiwan that Beijing claims as its own.

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Britain's Queen Elizabeth misses Christmas church service due to 'heavy cold'

SANDRINGHAM, England (Reuters) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth, 90, missed a traditional Christmas church service on Sunday for the first time in decades due to a heavy cold, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.

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Pope's Christmas message offers hope in world hit by terrorism, war

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday offered a Christmas hope for peace in a world lacerated by war and terrorism, urging people to remember migrants, refugees and those hit by economic instability caused by "idolatry of money".

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Russia's Defence Ministry plane goes missing with 91 on board: agencies

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian defence ministry Tu-154 aircraft has disappeared from radar with 91 people on board after taking off from the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russian news agencies reported on Sunday.

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Russian jets step up raids on rebel-held Idlib and rural Aleppo

AMMAN (Reuters) - Russian jets stepped up strikes on several towns in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province and rural Aleppo two days after the evacuation of rebels from their last pocket in the northern city of Aleppo, rebels and residents said on Saturday.

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Tunisian security forces arrest three for links to Berlin market attack suspect

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian security forces have arrested three suspected militants after uncovering their links to Anis Amri, the Tunisian national believed responsible for the Berlin Christmas market attack that killed 12 people, the interior ministry said on Saturday.

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Pope says Christmas 'hostage' to materialism, God in shadows

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Saturday that Christmas had been "taken hostage" by dazzling materialism that puts God in the shadows and blinds many to the needs of the hungry, the migrants and the war weary.

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Turkey-backed rebels kill 68 Islamic State fighters near Syria's al-Bab: state media

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey-backed rebels killed 68 Islamic State militants in clashes in northern Syria overnight, Turkish state media reported the military as saying on Saturday, as intense fighting around the town of al-Bab continued.

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South Korean president's friend at heart of scandal summoned for questioning

SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean special prosecutor probing a corruption scandal engulfing impeached President Park Geun-hye summoned a friend of hers at the center of the crisis for questioning on Saturday on charges including bribery and embezzlement, an official said.

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Trump's nuclear remarks test bid to improve Russia ties

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla./MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump upped the stakes on Friday in a back-and-forth exchange with President Vladimir Putin over nuclear weapons that tested the Republican's promises to improve relations with Russia.

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U.N. Security Council to vote Friday on end to Israeli settlements

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council will vote on Friday on a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlements, a day after Egypt withdrew the measure under pressure from Israel and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

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Venezuela's claim of victim status in bribery case unlikely to convince U.S.

MARACAIBO, Venezuela (Reuters) - A legal strategy switch by Venezuela's state-owned oil giant PDVSA to portray itself as a victim in a massive bribery scheme detected by the U.S. government is unlikely to lead to compensation and may even backfire.

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Syrian rebels shell Aleppo after withdrawal

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels shelled Aleppo on Friday, killing three people, state television reported, a day after insurgents finished withdrawing from their last pocket of territory in the city.

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Putin says killing of Russian Ankara envoy won't hurt Turkey ties

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey won't hurt Russia's relations with Ankara, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

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Hijacked Libyan plane lands in Malta with 118 on board

VALLETTA (Reuters) - An airliner on an internal flight in Libya was hijacked by a man claiming to have a hand grenade on Friday and diverted to Malta, where it landed with 118 people on board.

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German police suspect Christmas market attacker still in Berlin: media

BERLIN (Reuters) - The Tunisian suspected of killing 12 people at a Berlin Christmas market was filmed by police in the city shortly after the attack and investigators believe he is still hiding in the German capital, media reported on Friday.

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Syria war monitor says Turkish air strikes kill 88

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday that Turkish air strikes in northern Syria had killed 88 civilians since early on Thursday, including 24 children.

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Snowden still has contacts with Russian intelligence: U.S. House report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden "has had and continues to have contact" with Russian intelligence services, according to a newly declassified U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee report released on Thursday.

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U.N. envoy says Idlib could become the next Aleppo

GENEVA/AMMAN (Reuters) - A senior United Nations official warned on Thursday that thousands of people evacuated from rebel-held areas of Aleppo after a crushing government offensive could suffer the same fate in their new place of refuge outside the city.

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Trump, Netanyahu urge Obama to veto U.N. resolution on halting settlements

JERUSALEM/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the Obama administration on Thursday to veto a U.N. Security Council draft resolution calling for an immediate halt to settlement building on occupied land that Palestinians want for a state.

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Thousands of civilians and fighters still waiting to be evacuated from Aleppo: rebel spokesman

AMMAN (Reuters) - Thousands of rebels and fighters were still waiting on Thursday to be evacuated from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo city but difficulties including harsh weather were complicating the final phase of the operation, a rebel spokesman said.

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Russian hackers tracked Ukrainian artillery units using Android implant: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A hacking group linked to the Russian government and high-profile cyber attacks against Democrats during the U.S. presidential election likely used a malware implant on Android devices to track and target Ukrainian artillery units from late 2014 through 2016, according to a new report released Thursday.

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China foreign minister says U.S. ties face new uncertainties

BEIJING (Reuters) - China-U.S. relations face new uncertainties but with mutual respect for core interests they will remain stable, China's foreign minister said, adding one individual will not impede ties, a likely reference to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

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Turkish prosecutors probing why Russian envoy's killer not taken alive: state media

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish prosecutors are investigating why the off-duty policeman who shot dead Russia's ambassador to Turkey was not captured alive, state media said on Wednesday, as the number of people arrested over the killing rose to 11.

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Kremlin says almost all communication channels with U.S. are frozen: RIA

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday it did not expect the incoming U.S. administration to reject NATO enlargement overnight and that almost all communications channels between Russia and the United States were frozen, the RIA news agency reported.

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U.S. returns some land on Japan's Okinawa, largest transfer since '72

TOKYO (Reuters) - The United States and Japan held a ceremony on Wednesday marking the U.S. military's return of nearly 10,000 acres (4,046 hectares) of land on Okinawa island to the Japanese government, the largest transfer since 1972.

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Kremlin: Too early to say who behind Turkey envoy's killing

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday it was too early to say who stood behind the murder of Russia's ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, who was shot dead by a gunman at an Ankara art gallery on Monday.

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Experts scour site of deadly blast at Mexico fireworks market

TULTEPEC, Mexico (Reuters) - Teams of forensic investigators pored over the charred remains of fireworks market outside Mexico City on Wednesday after a series of blasts a day earlier killed at least 31 people and injured dozens more in a disaster marked by disbelief and tears.

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Kremlin slams new U.S. sanctions, says may respond

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that new sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States would damage relations between the two countries and that Moscow would respond with its own measures.

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Taiwan loses another ally, says won't help China ties

TAIPEI/BEIJING (Reuters) - Taiwan accused China on Wednesday of using Sao Tome and Principe's financial woes to push its "one China" policy after the West African state ended ties with the self-ruled island, with Taiwan saying China's action would not help relations across the Taiwan Strait.

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Indonesian police kill three suspects in gunfight after bombs found

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian anti-terrorism police killed three suspects after a gunfight on the outskirts of the capital, Jakarta, on Wednesday and foiled a suicide bomb plot, a police spokesman said.

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Mexico fireworks market blasts kill at least 31, injure scores

TULTEPEC, Mexico (Reuters) - A series of massive explosions destroyed a fireworks market outside the Mexican capital on Tuesday, killing at least 31 people, injuring dozens and leaving the market a charred wasteland.

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Turkish military says Syria's al-Bab to Aleppo highway under full control

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey-backed Syrian rebel forces besieging Islamic State-controlled al-Bab have gained full control of the highway linking the town to Aleppo with intense ground and air fire support, the Turkish military said on Wednesday.

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U.S. government loses to Russia's disinformation campaign: advisers

(Reuters) - The U.S. government spent more than a decade preparing responses to malicious hacking by a foreign power but had no clear strategy when Russia launched a disinformation campaign over the internet during the U.S. election campaign, current and former White House cyber security advisers said.

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Syrian army closes in on last Aleppo rebels

BEIRUT/MOSCOW (Reuters) - As President Bashar al-Assad's army closed in on the last rebel enclave in Aleppo on Tuesday, Russia, Iran and Turkey said they were ready to help broker a Syrian peace deal.

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Gunmen and security forces exchange heavy gunfire near city of Karak: security forces

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordanian security forces clashed with unidentified gunmen after a raid on a house in a village on the outskirts of the southern city of Karak where suspected militants were believed to be hiding, security sources said.

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EU agrees new gun rules after militant attacks

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union agreed stricter gun rules on Tuesday but balked at a proposal for a complete ban on the most lethal semi-automatic weapons such as the Kalashnikov.

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Islamic State claims responsibility for shootout at Jordanian castle: statement

AMMAN (Reuters) - Islamic State militants claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a shootout at a Crusader castle in the southern Jordanian city of Karak in which at least nine people including a Canadian tourist were killed.

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German police believe they arrested wrong man after attack: Die Welt

BERLIN (Reuters) - German police think that the man from Pakistan who was arrested as a suspect in the attack on a Berlin Christmas market that killed 12 people on Monday was not the actual perpetrator, Die Welt newspaper reported, citing senior security sources.

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Turkish police detain six after Russian ambassador shot dead

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish police have detained six people over the killing of the Russian ambassador, state media said, who was shot in the back as he gave a speech in Ankara on Monday by an off-duty police officer shouting "Don't forget Aleppo" and "Allahu Akbar".

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China says it has handed over U.S. drone taken in South China Sea

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday it had returned to the United States a U.S. underwater drone taken by a Chinese naval vessel in the South China Sea last week.

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Gunman wounds three in Zurich mosque rampage, motive unclear

ZURICH (Reuters) - A man stormed into a Zurich mosque on Monday evening and opened fire on people praying, injuring three, Swiss police said.

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Russian ambassador shot dead in Ankara gallery

ANKARA (Reuters) - The Russian ambassador to Turkey was shot in the back and killed as he gave a speech at an Ankara art gallery on Monday by an off-duty police officer who shouted "Don't forget Aleppo" and "Allahu Akbar" as he opened fire.

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Several killed in what German police say appears to be truck attack

BERLIN (Reuters) - Several people were killed and up to 50 injured when a truck plowed into a crowd at a Christmas market in Berlin on Monday evening, the Berliner Morgenpost reported.

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Thousands evacuated from Aleppo after deal over besieged villages

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Thousands were evacuated from the last rebel-held enclave of Aleppo on Monday in return for insurgents allowing people to leave two besieged pro-government villages in nearby Idlib province.

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IMF's Lagarde guilty, but not punished, in French negligence trial

PARIS (Reuters) - French judges convicted IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Monday of negligence for a state payout made while France's finance minister in 2008, but imposed no punishment, citing her preoccupation at the time with the global financial crisis.

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U.S. sees China returning drone as early as Tuesday in South China Sea

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States expects China to soon return an underwater U.S. drone after a Chinese naval vessel seized it last week, with one U.S. official telling Reuters the exchange could happen as early as Tuesday at an agreed spot in the South China Sea.

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EU formally extends Russia sanctions

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union extended economic sanctions against Russia by six months on Monday after completing the legislative process for a decision endorsed last week by national leaders at an EU summit.

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Duterte defends China, says unfair to blame Beijing for Philippines' drug problem

(Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's office, responding to a Reuters report, came to China's defense on Monday, saying it was unfair to hold Beijing responsible for the drug problem in the Philippines.

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Russia, Iran and Turkey foreign ministers to hold Aleppo talks on Tuesday: Turkish official

ANKARA (Reuters) - The foreign ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey will hold talks in Moscow on Tuesday aimed at giving fresh impetus for a solution in Aleppo, an official from Turkey's foreign ministry said.

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Russian military plane crashes in Siberia, injuring 32

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday that one of its planes had crashed in northeast Siberia with 39 people on board as it tried to make an emergency landing near a Soviet-era military base.

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Syrian Observatory says 10 evacuation buses leave villages

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said on Monday 10 buses had left the besieged Shi'ite Muslim villages of al-Foua and Kefraya near Idlib carrying evacuees through rebel-held territory toward Aleppo.

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Beijing sees U.S. drone as part of South China Sea spying efforts

BEIJING (Reuters) - An underwater drone taken by a Chinese naval vessel in the South China Sea last week is part of U.S. surveillance efforts in the disputed waterway, but Beijing won't likely make a big fuss about its handover, Chinese state media and experts said.

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NATO seeks to allay concerns at meeting with Russia

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO will seek to reassure Russia on Monday that its troop deployments to the Baltics and Poland next year are purely defensive, in a rare meeting of the alliance's envoys with those of the Kremlin that is unlikely to resolve long-standing grievances.

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Saudi Arabia, U.S. play down reports of curbs on military support

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and the United States on Sunday played down media reports that Washington had decided to limit military support, including planned arms sales to the kingdom, over its war in Yemen.

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Jordanian police storm castle, free tourists, operation continuing: security source

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordanian security forces freed tourists trapped inside a medieval castle on Sunday after storming the building where armed men had taken shelter following a shoot-out with police that killed at least nine people, security sources said.

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Islamic State claims Yemen suicide attack that killed 49: statement

CAIRO (Reuters) - Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on Sunday that killed up to 49 Yemeni soldiers in the southern port city of Aden, the group said in a statement.

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Venezuela postpones currency move after chaos, protests

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro suspended on Saturday the elimination of the country's largest denomination bill, which had sparked cash shortages and nationwide unrest, saying the measure would be postponed until early January.

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Iran calls for meeting of nuclear deal powers over U.S. sanctions

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran has requested a meeting of a commission overseeing the implementation of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iranian state media reported on Saturday, in response to what Tehran calls a U.S. violation of the agreement.

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Thirteen Turkish soldiers killed, 48 wounded in car bomb attack

ANKARA, Turkey (Reuters) - Thirteen soldiers were killed and 48 more were injured when a car bomb hit a bus transporting off-duty military personnel in the central Turkish city of Kayseri on Saturday, one week after a twin bombing targeted police in Istanbul.

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Syrian rebel says new deal reached to secure Aleppo evacuation: report

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A new deal has been reached to complete the evacuation of rebel-held areas of eastern Aleppo which stalled over demands from pro-government forces that two villages besieged by rebels must also be evacuated, a Syrian rebel told news channel al-Arabiya al-Hadath on Saturday.

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Obama says China would not take change in U.S. policy on Taiwan lightly

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Friday it was fine for President-elect Donald Trump to review Washington's "one-China" policy toward Taiwan, but he cautioned that a shift could lead to significant consequences in the U.S. relationship with Beijing.

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China says issue over seized U.S. underwater drone to be resolved smoothly: Global Times

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has seized "unidentified" equipment it found in the South China Sea, the influential state-run tabloid the Global Times said on Saturday, a day after U.S. officials said a Chinese warship had taken a U.S. underwater drone.

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Dispute holds up evacuation from 'hell' of Aleppo

ALEPPO, Syria/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The evacuation of the last opposition-held areas of the Syrian city of Aleppo was suspended on Friday after pro-government militias demanded that wounded people should also be brought out of two Shi'ite villages being besieged by rebel fighters.

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Obama says told Putin to 'cut it out' over cyber attacks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday said he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin in September to stop meddling in American political campaigns after hacks of Democratic Party emails in the lead-up to the Nov. 8 elections.

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Philippines' Duterte tells U.S. to prepare to leave the country

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte told the United States on Saturday to prepare for the eventual repeal of a military deal that allows Washington to deploy troops and equipment for exercises in the country.

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China's Navy seizes American underwater drone in South China Sea

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Chinese Navy warship has seized an underwater drone deployed by an American oceanographic vessel in international waters in the South China Sea, triggering a formal demarche from the United States and a demand for its return, a U.S. defense official told Reuters on Friday.

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Breakthrough in Japan, Russia islands row eludes PM Abe, Putin

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin wrapped up two days of talks on Thursday, with numerous economic deals but no big breakthrough on a territorial row that has overshadowed ties since World War Two.

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Putin and Erdogan push for Syria talks without U.S. or U.N.

MOSCOW/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin said he and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan are working to organize a new series of Syrian peace talks without the involvement of the United States or the United Nations.

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Syria opposition coordinator says to join Putin's peace talks if genuine

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - A senior Syrian opposition leader said on Friday his negotiations committee was willing to join peace talks planned by Russian President Vladimir Putin provided that the aim was to set up transition government.

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China holds first live-fire drills with aircraft carrier, warships

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's military has carried out its first ever live-fire drills using an aircraft carrier and fighters in the northeastern Bohai Sea close to Korea, state media said.

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China says no country can be exception to 'one China' principle

BEIJING (Reuters) - The "one China" principle is the basis for developing ties with China and no country can be an exception to this rule, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his French counterpart.

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Putin turned Russia election hacks in Trump's favor: U.S. officials

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin supervised his intelligence agencies' hacking of the U.S. presidential election and turned it from a general attempt to discredit American democracy to an effort to help Donald Trump, three U.S. officials said on Thursday.

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EU agrees to extend Russia sanctions until mid-2017: diplomats

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to extend the bloc's main economic sanctions against Russia over the turmoil in Ukraine for six months until mid-2017, diplomats said.

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NATO-Russia Council to meet on Monday: Stoltenberg

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO envoys will hold a formal meeting with Russia on Monday after Moscow agreed to discuss the conflict in eastern Ukraine and as the alliance seeks to avoid any escalation of the East-West standoff.

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Assad video says taking of Aleppo is historic moment

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Thursday the world would be different after what he called the "liberation of Aleppo", describing it as a historic moment.

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Gulf states rebuke Assad over violence in Aleppo

CAIRO (Reuters) - Gulf Arab countries condemned the Syrian government's handling of a ceasefire and evacuation in Aleppo and called on Thursday for civilians trying to flee the war-torn city to be protected.

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China defends its right to 'ready slingshot' in South China Sea

BEIJING (Reuters) - China defended its right on Thursday to put "necessary military installations" on artificial islands in the South China Sea, after a U.S. think-tank said Beijing appeared to have deployed weapons such as anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems.

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'Tiger' Israel has wary eye on Iran after Syrian rebels lose Aleppo

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The fall of Aleppo to Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran has heightened alarm in Israel about potential threats to its borders and a wider reshaping of the region.

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Russia says talks with U.S. over Aleppo suspended: TASS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and the United States have suspended talks on ways to resolve the crisis in Syria's largest city of Aleppo, TASS news agency cited a Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Thursday.

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Aleppo evacuation mission under way after convoy attacked

ALEPPO, Syria/BEIRUT (Reuters) - An operation to evacuate thousands of civilians and fighters from the last rebel bastion in Aleppo was under way on Thursday despite an earlier attack on a medical convoy by pro-government forces.

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Abe, Putin start hot spring summit, seeking progress on Japan-Russia islands row

NAGATO, Japan (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin met at a hot spring resort on Thursday in search of progress on a territorial row that has blocked a peace treaty formally ending World War Two.

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China installs weapons systems on artificial islands: U.S. think tank

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China appears to have installed weapons, including anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems, on all seven of the artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea, a U.S. think tank reported, citing new satellite imagery.

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Targeting U.S. automaker signals possible China retaliation over Trump talk

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - China's plan to punish a U.S. automaker accused of price-fixing is a sign of how Beijing could retaliate if President-elect Donald Trump upends decades of relations between the two nations.

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Sovereignty not a 'bargaining chip': Chinese ambassador to U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a veiled warning to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, China's ambassador to the United States on Wednesday said that China would never bargain with Washington over issues involving its national sovereignty or territorial integrity.

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U.S. may target weapons seized by Islamic State in Palmyra

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of U.S. forces fighting Islamic State said on Wednesday the United States may target weapons seized by the group when it captured the Syrian city of Palmyra, adding the equipment posed a danger to the U.S.-led coalition in the region.

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Syria's Assad: Trump can be our natural ally

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview with Russian state television that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could become a natural ally to Damascus if he shows he is sincere about fighting terrorism.

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Hezbollah, other Shi'ite allies helped Assad win in Aleppo

By Tom Perry, Laila Bassam, Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Tom Miles

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Exclusive: China installs weapons systems on artificial islands - U.S. think tank

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China appears to have installed weapons, including anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems, on all seven of the artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea, a U.S. think tank reported on Wednesday, citing new satellite imagery.

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Philippines' Duterte 'in the pink of health', ministers say

MANILA (Reuters) - Ministers in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's cabinet on Wednesday said he was in good health, after the leader talked about ailments afflicting him and said he might not live to complete his six-year term.

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Turkey under attack from terror groups, must respond in kind: Erdogan

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey is facing the biggest attack in its history from terrorist groups and needs to retaliate in kind, President Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech to local administrators in the presidential palace on Wednesday.

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Turkey's Syria campaign has killed 1,800 Islamic State and Kurdish militia fighters: Erdogan

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's military operations in Syria have killed around 1,800 Islamic State and Kurdish militia fighters since being launched in August, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

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Too big to fail: China maps out its Trump strategy

BEIJING (Reuters) - When Donald Trump becomes U.S. president next month, one issue above all others could force his new administration to work closely with China and underscore why he and Beijing need each other - North Korea.

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U.S. ready to confront Beijing on South China Sea: admiral

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The United States is ready to confront China should it continue its overreaching maritime claims in the South China Sea, the head of the U.S. Pacific fleet said on Wednesday, comments that threaten to escalate tensions between the two global rivals.

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China says damage to 'one China' principle would impact peace

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Taiwan Affairs Office said on Wednesday any interference with or damage to the "one China" principle would have a serious impact on peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

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United States grounds Osprey aircraft in Japan after Okinawa crash

TOKYO (Reuters) - The United States military grounded its tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey aircraft in Japan on Wednesday after Tokyo called for a halt to flights following a crash southwest of Okinawa island, the first accident involving the aircraft in Japan.

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U.S. strike kills Islamic State militants linked to Paris attacks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. drone strike in Syria last week killed two Islamic State leaders linked to the Nov. 13, 2015 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people as well as a third militant convicted in absentia in Belgium for a disrupted plot, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

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Syria’s civil war to mar Obama legacy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The fall of the last rebel-held areas in the Syrian city of Aleppo could seal the fate of the "Obama Doctrine," deepening the world’s worst humanitarian crisis in decades and staining U.S. President Barack Obama's legacy.

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Exclusive: U.S. to halt some arms sales to Saudi, citing civilian deaths in Yemen campaign

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has decided to limit military support to Saudi Arabia's campaign in Yemen because of concerns over widespread civilian casualties and will halt a planned arms sale to the kingdom, U.S. officials told Reuters.

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Iraqi Shi'ite forces aim to clear border strip with Syria

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Shi'ite forces fighting Islamic State west of Mosul aim to clear a large strip of land on the border with Syria to prevent the militants melting into the remote desert region and using it as a base for counter attacks, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

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Preparing for Trump, EU to back defence spending review: draft

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union is set to call for a defence review process on Thursday that could name and shame governments not spending enough at a time of renewed U.S. criticism that Europe does not pay enough for its security.

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IMF's Lagarde says she was not negligent in payout to French magnate

PARIS (Reuters) - International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde sought on Tuesday to convince judges she was not negligent in signing off on a 400 million euro ($425 million) French state payout to a business tycoon in 2008.

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Doubts about Israeli submarine deal spur Supreme Court petition

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli lawyers will petition the Supreme Court on Tuesday to intervene over the awarding of a defence contract to Germany's ThyssenKrupp amid allegations of a conflict of interest involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's own lawyer.

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Iran to build nuclear marine propulsion after U.S. 'violation' of deal

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iran's President Hassan Rouhani ordered on Tuesday the head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran to start planning the development of nuclear marine propulsion in reaction to what he called the United States' violation of the nuclear deal.

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Merkel says sanctions against Russia over Ukraine must be extended

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday sanctions against Russia over the crisis in eastern Ukraine would have to be extended because of a lack of progress in implementing the Minsk ceasefire agreement.

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U.S. says 'one China' policy should not be used as bargaining chip

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Monday insisted that Washington’s “one China” policy should not be used as a “bargaining chip” with Beijing after President-elect Donald Trump said the United States did not necessarily have to be bound by its long-standing position that Taiwan is part of China.

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Exclusive: Top U.S. spy agency has not embraced CIA assessment on Russia hacking - sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The overseers of the U.S. intelligence community have not embraced a CIA assessment that Russian cyber attacks were aimed at helping Republican President-elect Donald Trump win the 2016 election, three American officials said on Monday.

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After Trump's win, China and Mexico move to deepen ties

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - China and Mexico pledged on Monday to deepen ties at a meeting between their top diplomats following last month's U.S. presidential election victory of Donald Trump, who has tested Washington's relationship with both countries.

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Syrian Observatory reports suspected gas attack in Islamic State area near Palmyra

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there had been a suspected gas attack in Islamic State-held territory near Palmyra on Monday, amid heavy aerial bombardment of the same area which together killed at least 53 people.

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Portugal's Guterres sworn in as next U.N. secretary-general

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres took the oath of office on Monday to be the ninth United Nations Secretary-General with his hand on a copy of the U.N. Charter in front of the 193-member General Assembly.

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Looking ahead to Trump presidency, Netanyahu refocusses on Iran

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu has resumed his attacks on a nuclear deal with Iran, seeking Donald Trump's help to smash a cornerstone of the Obama administration's foreign policy legacy.

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Iraqi police say ready to join assault on east Mosul

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Several thousand Iraqi federal police are ready to join the assault against Islamic State in east Mosul, a spokesman said on Monday, reinforcing troops who have faced weeks of fierce counter-attacks from the militants.

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China warns Trump against ignoring its Taiwan interests

BEIJING (Reuters) - China expressed "serious concern" on Monday after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said the United States did not necessarily have to stick to its long-held stance that Taiwan is part of "one China", calling it the basis for relations.

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Syrian army takes Aleppo district under intense bombardment

ALEPPO, Syria/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army and its allies captured Sheikh Saeed district in Aleppo in overnight fighting, a war monitor and a Syrian official said early on Monday, amid the most intense bombardment in days, leaving insurgents in only a tiny pocket of the city.

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Trump says U.S. not necessarily bound by 'one China' policy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said the United States did not necessarily have to stick to its long-standing position that Taiwan is part of "one China," questioning nearly four decades of policy in a move likely to antagonize Beijing.

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Cairo church bombing kills 25, raises fears among Christians

CAIRO (Reuters) - A bombing at Cairo's largest Coptic cathedral killed at least 25 people and wounded 49, many of them women and children attending Sunday mass, in the deadliest attack on Egypt's Christian minority in years.

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Iran says Gulf worried about war risks with Trump

DUBAI (Reuters) - Donald Trump's election has led to unease over threats to peace in the region, Iran's defense minister said on Sunday, warning that a war would destroy Israel and the small Gulf Arab states.

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Kurdish militants claim responsibility for Istanbul attack that killed 38

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - An offshoot of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) claimed responsibility on Sunday for twin bombings that killed 38 people and wounded 155 outside an Istanbul soccer stadium, an attack for which the Turkish government vowed vengeance.

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Aleppo rebel zone facing 'death or surrender': rebel official

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels control only a small area of Aleppo that is full of civilians and under very fierce bombardment after pro-government forces took the al-Maadi district, a Turkey-based official with the Jabha Shamiya rebel group said on Sunday.

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Catholic church in Manila issues prayer against expanded death penalty

MANILA (Reuters) - Roman Catholic churches in Manila on Sunday read a prayer against Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's plans to re-impose the death penalty on heinous crimes, including drug-related offences.

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North Korea's Kim guides special operations drill targeting South

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided a special operations drill targeting the South, the North's media reported on Sunday, as rival South Korea remained on alert for any attempt by the North to take advantage of political turmoil in the South.

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UK government facing new Brexit court case -Sunday Times

LONDON (Reuters) - Opponents to Britain leaving the European Union will launch a fresh legal action this week, which could further hamper Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plans, The Sunday Times reported.

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Islamic State militants enter Palmyra after heavy fighting: monitor

AMMAN (Reuters) - Islamic State militants on Saturday captured most of Palmyra after breaking through Syrian army defenses and securing the heights around the ancient city in eastern Syria following a surprise assault, a monitoring group and rebels said.

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Suspected car bomb wounds around 20 outside Istanbul football stadium: minister

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A suspected car bomb outside a football stadium in central Istanbul wounded at least 20 people on Saturday hours after the end of a match between two of Turkey's top teams, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said.

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France arrests new suspect in foiled terror plot

PARIS (Reuters) - French judicial authorities have arrested and charged a sixth suspect in a foiled militant plot to attack sites in the Paris region, a judicial source said on Saturday.

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Parties make their cases to Italy president for new leader

ROME (Reuters) - Political parties made their cases to Italy's head of state on Saturday for candidates to lead the country out of a government crisis prompted by Matteo Renzi's resignation as prime minister.

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After impeachment of South Korean president, anti-Park rallies resume

SEOUL (Reuters) - Protesters demanding that South Korean President Park Geun-hye step down marched on Saturday for a seventh straight weekend, a day after parliament voted overwhelmingly to impeach her and put the fate of her presidency in the hands of a nine-judge court.

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Russia says more than 20,000 civilians left eastern Aleppo on Saturday

MOSCOW (Reuters) - More than 20,000 civilians have left eastern Aleppo on Saturday and over 1,200 rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have laid down their arms, Interfax news agency cited the Russian Defense Ministry as saying on Saturday.

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Death toll rises as cargo train explodes in Bulgaria

SOFIA (Reuters) - At least five people were killed and 25 injured when a cargo train derailed and exploded in the northeastern Bulgarian village of Hitrino, demolishing around 20 buildings, police said on Saturday.

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U.S. allies caution Trump on Syria strategy

WASHINGTON/PARIS (Reuters) - Key U.S. allies in Europe are quietly expressing concern over President-elect Donald Trump's approach to Syria, warning that his pledge to work more closely with Russia, Damascus' main backer, will do little to diminish the terrorist threat emanating from Syria.

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Drone strike kills militant linked to Charlie Hebdo attack: U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. drone strike in Syria has killed an Islamic State militant linked to the Jan. 7 2015 attack on satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in Paris, defense officials said on Friday.

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After impeachment, South Korea prime minister urges calm, vigilance

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's prime minister sought to calm anxiety over national security and to reassure financial markets on Saturday, a day after parliament voted to impeach President Park Geun-hye, making him acting leader.

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U.S.-led warplanes destroy fleet of Islamic State oil tankers in Syria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-led coalition planes destroyed 168 Islamic State oil tanker trucks in Syria, the coalition said on Friday, in the largest strike of its kind and the latest instance of what U.S. officials say has been a successful effort to starve the militant group of revenues.

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Iraq says it destroys Mosul car bomb factories

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces captured a neighborhood in east Mosul on Friday, pushing deeper to the heart of Islamic State's Iraq stronghold and destroying three sites where it produced car bombs used in waves of suicide attacks, the campaign's commander said.

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EU to extend economic sanctions on Russia after leaders meet on December 15

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will extend by six months its main economic sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine after the bloc's leaders meet in Brussels on Dec. 15, diplomatic sources and officials said on Friday.

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Syrian government forces press attack in east Aleppo

ALEPPO, Syria/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army pressed an offensive in Aleppo on Friday with ground fighting and air strikes in an operation to retake all of the city's besieged rebel-held east that would bring victory in the civil war closer for President Bashar al-Assad.

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Philippine senators tell Duterte drug war must be legal, punish rogue police

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine senators have criticized the way President Rodrigo Duterte is carrying out his anti-narcotics campaign, saying it should be done within the bounds of the law and he must punish erring police officers.

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U.S. defense chief visits Afghanistan amid questions over Trump's foreign policy

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Friday, amid questions about what President-elect Donald Trump's foreign policy will mean for the country as it faces a renewed Taliban-led insurgency.

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Trump says U.S.-China relationship must improve

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States needed to improve its relationship with China, which he criticized for its economic policies and failure to rein in North Korea.

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South Korea's President Park faces historic impeachment vote

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Park Geun-hye, engulfed in an influence-peddling scandal, faces a historic impeachment vote in parliament on Friday that could see her become the country's first democratically elected leader to be ousted from office.

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Canada spy official doubts intelligence-sharing under Trump: report

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Canadian official who oversees the country's spies says Ottawa may have to rethink how it provides intelligence to the United States, given incoming President Donald Trump's views on torture, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

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Iraqi troops retreat after Mosul hospital battle

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi troops who seized a hospital deep inside Mosul believed to be used as an Islamic State military base have retreated after a fierce counter-attack, giving up some of their biggest gains in a hard-fought seven-week campaign to recapture the city.

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Trump's choice of China envoy a positive sign for ties, Xinhua says

BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pick of Iowa Governor Terry Branstad as ambassador to China sends a positive sign for ties, Chinese state media said, but the envoy will have to live up to earlier statements rejecting confrontation with Beijing.

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Exclusive: Risking Beijing's ire, Vietnam begins dredging on South China Sea reef

SYDNEY/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Vietnam has begun dredging work on a disputed reef in the South China Sea, satellite imagery shows, the latest move by the Communist state to bolster its claims in the strategic waterway.

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Iraq parliament speaker demands inquiry into deadly Qaim air strikes

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament speaker called on Thursday for a government inquiry into air strikes on a western border town which killed around 60 people, mostly civilians.

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Israeli forces kill Palestinian brandishing knife: police

(Reuters) - Israeli paramilitary police officers in the occupied West Bank shot and killed a Palestinian who ran toward them brandishing a knife on Thursday, police said.

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Iran minister says in U.S. interest to stay committed to nuclear treaty

TOKYO (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday it was in the interest of the United States to remain committed to a multilateral nuclear treaty.

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South Korea parliament introduces bill to impeach Park; vote due Friday

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's parliament introduced a bill on Thursday to impeach President Park Geun-hye, setting in motion a vote to oust the embattled leader engulfed in an influence-peddling scandal.

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How Iran closed the Mosul 'horseshoe' and changed Iraq war

BAGHDAD/ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - In the early days of the assault on Islamic State in Mosul, Iran successfully pressed Iraq to change its battle plan and seal off the city, an intervention which has since shaped the tortuous course of the conflict, sources briefed on the plan say.

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Ties between Russia and the Taliban worry Afghan, U.S. officials

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan and American officials are increasingly worried that any deepening of ties between Russia and Taliban militants fighting to topple the government in Kabul could complicate an already precarious security situation.

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Cuba wants to sign accords with U.S. before Obama exit - officials

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba said on Wednesday it hoped to sign off on at least half a dozen agreements with the United States before businessman Donald Trump, who has threatened to derail detente between the former Cold War foes, becomes president on Jan. 20.

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U.S. sanctions two Yemenis, one charity linked to AQAP

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday sanctioned two Yemenis and one Yemen-based charity for what it said were ties to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, a U.S.-designated terrorist group.

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Assange releases testimony from London questioning, says he is innocent

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Wikileaks founder Julian Assange released on Wednesday his testimony from last month's London questioning in a Swedish rape investigation, saying he was innocent and that it was clear the sex was consensual.

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Rebels seek ceasefire with Syrian army closer to retaking Aleppo

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels in besieged eastern Aleppo called on Wednesday for an immediate five-day ceasefire and the evacuation of civilians and wounded, but gave no indication they were ready to withdraw as demanded by Damascus and Moscow.

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Kremlin says exit deal for Aleppo rebels still on agenda

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a potential U.S.-Russia deal to allow Syrian rebels to safely leave Aleppo was still on the agenda, but that no talks were planned between the two countries for now.

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Pakistani plane with more than 40 people aboard crashes in north: police

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A Pakistan International Airlines flight carrying more than 40 people crashed on Wednesday en route to Islamabad from the northern city of Chitral, a regional police official said.

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Armed groups take control of Libyan town of Ben Jawad, close to major oil ports: officials

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Armed groups took control on Wednesday of the Libyan town of Ben Jawad, close to some of Libya's major eastern oil ports, security officials said.

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Clashes break out west of Libyan oil ports: official

BNEGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Clashes broke out on Wednesday near the Libyan town of Ben Jawad, west of some of Libya's major oil ports, a spokesman for a force that guards the ports said.

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China calls Iowa governor Branstad 'old friend' after report of ambassador pick

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Wednesday the governor of the U.S. state of Iowa, Terry Branstad, was an "old friend" after a report that he had accepted President-elect Donald Trump's offer to become the next U.S. ambassador to China.

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China urges U.S. to block transit by Taiwan president

BEIJING/GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - China called on U.S. officials on Tuesday not to let Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen pass through the United States en route to Guatemala next month, days after President-elect Donald Trump irked Beijing by speaking to Tsai in a break with decades of precedent.

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Libyan forces clear last Islamic State hold-out in Sirte

SIRTE, Libya (Reuters) - Libyan forces backed by U.S. air strikes finished clearing the last Islamic State hold-out in Sirte on Tuesday after a six-month battle for the militant group's former North African stronghold.

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Setting sights on fourth term, Merkel vows tough line on migration

ESSEN, Germany (Reuters) - Angela Merkel laid out her case for a fourth term as German chancellor on Tuesday, seeking to energize her conservatives with a call to ban full-face Muslim veils and the promise of a tougher stance on immigration after a record influx of refugees.

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Syrian troops close in on Aleppo's Old City

BEIRUT/GENEVA (Reuters) - Syria's army and allies closed in on areas near Aleppo's Old City on Tuesday, looking closer than ever to achieving their most important victory of the five year civil war by driving rebels out of their last urban stronghold.

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Merkel re-elected to CDU party chair with 89.5 percent of vote

ESSEN, Germany (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel won re-election as chairwoman of her Christian Democrats (CDU) on Tuesday with 89.5 percent of votes cast by just under 1,000 party delegates, giving her a boost as she seeks a fourth term in office next year.

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Iraq army launches fresh Mosul assault, targeting Mosul bridge

BAGHDAD/ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi army units advanced from southeast Mosul towards a bridge across the Tigris in the city center on Tuesday, in an attack that could give fresh impetus to the hard fought, seven-week battle for Islamic State's northern Iraq stronghold.

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Syria says it rejects Aleppo ceasefire if rebels remain: state media

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria rejects any ceasefire negotiated by any party in rebel-held eastern Aleppo unless all the terrorist groups there depart, its Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday in a statement carried by state media.

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Obama to deliver speech defending his counterterrorism fight

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will make the case on Tuesday that his counterterrorism policies have helped protect Americans from evolving international threats as he prepares to hand over the White House to a successor who has been critical of his approach.

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Iraqi troops push towards central Mosul from southeast

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi army units launched a fresh assault in southeast Mosul on Tuesday and a senior commander was quoted as saying an armored division had advanced to within less than a mile (1.5 km) of the Tigris River running through the city center.

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Iran's Rouhani says will not let Trump rip up nuclear deal

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iran will not let U.S. President-elect Donald Trump rip up the nuclear deal it signed with world powers, President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday.

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Aleppo's fall would be win for Russia, defeat for U.S. in Mideast

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-backed moderate rebels' loss of the eastern half of Syria's largest city Aleppo to Russian-backed government forces would be a defeat for President Barack Obama's efforts to promote democracy and defeat terrorism in the Middle East, U.S. officials conceded on Monday.

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Russia says to start talks with U.S. on Aleppo rebel withdrawal

BEIRUT/MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian government said on Monday it would start talks with Washington on a rebel withdrawal from Aleppo this week as Russian-backed Syrian forces fought to seize more territory from rebels who are struggling to avoid a major defeat.

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Japan PM to visit Hawaii to remember Pearl Harbor victims with Obama

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he would visit Hawaii on Dec. 26 and 27 for his final summit meeting with outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama, and to remember the victims of Japan's Pearl Harbor attack 75 years ago.

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China says Trump clear about Taiwan, in touch with his team

BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Trump is clear about China's position on the Taiwan issue and China has maintained contacts with his team, the foreign ministry said on Monday, as Trump took to Twitter to complain about Chinese economic and military policy.

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Trump complains in tweets about Chinese policy after Taiwan call raises hackles

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump complained about Chinese economic and military policy on Twitter on Sunday, showing no signs of a conciliatory approach after a phone conversation with Taiwan's president raised hackles in Beijing.

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Recapture of Mosul 'possible' before next U.S. administration: Pentagon chief

ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT (Reuters) - While the fight to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from Islamic State is going to be difficult, it is "possible" it could be complete before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday.

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Austrians roundly reject far right in presidential election

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austrian voters roundly rejected on Sunday a candidate vying to become the first freely elected far-right head of state in Europe since World War Two, halting at least temporarily the wave of populism sweeping Western democracies.

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Netanyahu says will discuss with Trump 'bad' Iran nuclear deal

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he will discuss with Donald Trump the West's "bad" nuclear deal with Iran after the U.S. president-elect enters the White House.

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Islamic State strikes back to slow Iraqi forces in Mosul

BAGHDAD/BARTELLA, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters retreating in the face of a seven-week Iraqi military assault on their Mosul stronghold have hit back in the last two days, exploiting cloudy skies which hampered U.S.-led air support and highlighting the fragile army gains.

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Fleeing Aleppo fighting, Syrians describe terrifying choices

BEIRUT (Reuters) - As Syrian government forces advanced into Aleppo's rebel-held al-Sakhour district, Hasan al-Ali said he faced the choice of staying put and being caught by the army, or fleeing into a shrinking rebel enclave under relentless bombardment.

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Putin says Trump a clever man, will understand new responsibility quickly

MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is a clever man and will understand the level of his new responsibility quickly, Russian President Vladimir Putin was quoted by news agencies as saying in an interview with NTV TV.

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Syrian rebels tell U.S. they won't leave Aleppo

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebel groups have told the United States they will not leave Aleppo after Moscow called for talks with Washington over a full withdrawal of rebel fighters from the city's besieged eastern districts, a rebel official said on Sunday.

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Malaysian PM urges intervention to stop 'genocide' of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called for foreign intervention to stop the "genocide" of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar on Sunday, as he joined thousands of Rohingya protesters in Kuala Lumpur.

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Castro to be laid to rest next to Cuban independence hero Marti

SANTIAGO, Cuba (Reuters) - Fidel Castro will be laid to rest on Sunday alongside the mausoleum of Cuban independence hero Jose Marti, ensuring that the polarizing nature of Castro's life will continue in death.

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Australian PM says he's confident Trump won't pull out of U.S. refugee deal

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Sunday he was confident a refugee resettlement deal with the United States would go ahead, despite White House comments which seemed to cast doubt about its future under a Trump Administration.

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Italy votes in referendum with PM Renzi's future at stake

ROME (Reuters) - Italians vote on Sunday in a referendum on constitutional reform which will decide the political future of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who has promised to resign if he loses.

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Castro funeral cortege reaches destination, leftist friends gather

SANTIAGO, Cuba (Reuters) - Flag-waving Cubans leaned from windows and lined the streets as Fidel Castro's funeral cortege approached the end of three-day journey on Saturday, rolling into the city of Santiago de Cuba where the revolutionary leader's remains will be laid to rest.

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Castro's last goal? A soccer field for neighborhood kids

HAVANA (Reuters) - Fidel Castro is remembered around the world as a charismatic revolutionary or a ruthless tyrant, but in his neighborhood he was also a friendly old man who used his influence to build a soccer field for kids two weeks before his death.

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Iran says extension of sanctions act shows U.S. unreliable

DUBAI (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate vote to extend the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) for 10 years shows the world that Washington cannot be relied upon to act on its commitments, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday.

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Chinese mine disasters kill at least 38

BEIJING (Reuters) - At least 38 people have died in two separate coal mine disasters in China in the last five days, state media said, the latest accidents in a country with a poor record of industrial safety.

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Grieving Brazilian town receives bodies of soccer crash victims

CHAPECO, Brazil (Reuters) - The Brazilian town of Chapeco, its buildings draped in the green colors of its devastated soccer club, prepared on Saturday to receive the bodies of victims of an air disaster in Colombia that killed 71 people and wiped out the team.

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Relatives of missing Flight MH370 passengers 'taking search into own hands'

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Relatives of those aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 said on Saturday they were taking the search for the plane into their own hands to try to push governments to expand the search area along the east African coast.

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On final trip, Carter looks to reassure Asia allies

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter makes his last scheduled trip to Asia next week, and he will try to sooth anxieties caused by Donald Trump's election, U.S. officials said.

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South Korea opposition introduces bill to impeach scandal-tainted Park

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's three opposition parties introduced a bill on Saturday for parliament to impeach President Park Geun-hye who, tainted by a corruption scandal, could become the first democratically elected leader to leave office early in disgrace.

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Trump speaks to Taiwan's leader in move that could anger China

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke by phone on Friday with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, a move that is likely to infuriate China and complicate U.S. relations with Beijing.

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Russia not serious in talks with Syrian rebels: opposition official

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A senior Syrian opposition official accused Russia on Friday of procrastinating in talks with rebels over Aleppo, signaling no progress in diplomacy which rebels hoped would ease dire conditions in the city where they are in danger of defeat.

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Women bombers emerge from Islamic State redoubt to attack Libyan forces

SIRTE, Libya (Reuters) - Several women blew themselves up on Friday in suicide attacks that killed four Libyan soldiers who had granted them safe passage to leave buildings under the control of Islamic State militants, a spokesman for government forces said.

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Residents alarmed as Iraqi soldiers spray Shi'ite graffiti in Mosul

The traditional battle cry of Shi'ite Muslims, expressing loyalty to the 7th century martyred hero of their sect, has been spraypainted across buildings in Mosul by soldiers as they push out the hardline Sunni fighters of Islamic State.

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Europe must brace for new, varied IS attacks: security chief

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Islamic State will attack Europe again, security chiefs warned on Friday, and may add car bombs, cyber and chemical warfare to its local arsenal as European militants drift home after reverses in Syria and Iraq.

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Philippines' Duterte gets Trump invite during 'animated' call: aide

MANILA (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke on the telephone on Friday with Philippines leader Rodrigo Duterte and invited him to the White House next year during a "very engaging, animated" talk, an aide to Duterte said.

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Exclusive: Iraqi commanders examined strategy shift to avert Mosul war of attrition

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Facing brutal urban warfare in Mosul and with their push slowed by the presence of one million residents, Iraqi commanders examined changing strategy last week to help civilians leave to give the army a free hand to strike Islamic State fighters.

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China's Xi says 'watching closely' following U.S. election

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping told former U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger on Friday that China was watching U.S. politics "very closely" following the presidential election won by Republican Donald Trump.

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China concerned over Taiwan content in U.S. defense bill

BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Friday expressed concern that an annual U.S. defense policy bill suggests a plan to conduct high-level military exchanges with Taiwan, the self-governed island that Beijing sees as a breakaway province.

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French presidential race centers on 'top cop' Valls after Hollande bow-out

PARIS (Reuters) - The focus of France's presidential election swung on to Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Friday as the possible standard bearer of the ruling Socialists following Francois Hollande's shock announcement that he would not seek a second term.

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Thailand's new king makes first public appearance

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's new king on Friday made his first public appearance since ascending the throne the previous day, ending a period of uncertainty since the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, on Oct. 13.

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Iran says extension of sanctions act by U.S. Congress violates nuclear deal: TV

ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the U.S. Senate's vote to extend sanctions against the Islamic Republic for 10 years violated a historic nuclear deal reached between the country and six major powers in 2015.

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South Korea, Japan impose new unilateral sanctions on North Korea

SEOUL/TOKYO (Reuters) - South Korea and Japan said on Friday they would impose new unilateral sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, following a fresh U.N. Security Council resolution imposed on the reclusive country this week.

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British fighters to overfly South China Sea; carriers in Pacific after 2020: envoy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - British fighter planes visiting Japan will fly over the South China Sea and Britain will sail aircraft carriers in the Pacific once they are operational in 2020, given concerns about freedom of navigation there, Britain's ambassador to the United States said on Thursday.

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Russian cargo ship destroyed after launch for Space Station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - An unmanned Russian cargo ship loaded with more than 2-1/2 tons of food and supplies for the International Space Station broke apart about six minutes after liftoff on Thursday, Russia's space agency Roscosmos said in a statement.

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Grim Hollande says he won't seek second term as French president

PARIS (Reuters) - President Francois Hollande shocked France on Thursday by announcing he would not seek a second term next year, acknowledging his deep unpopularity and making way for another leftist candidate to take on conservative Francois Fillon and far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

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Air strikes kill 54 civilians in Iraq, Syria: U.S. military

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition killed 54 civilians between March 31 and Oct. 22 while carrying out air strikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria, the U.S. military said in a statement on Thursday.

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Battle for Iraq's Mosul could take months: ICRC

GENEVA (Reuters) - The Iraqi government's assault to retake the city of Mosul could take months, prompting more and more civilians to try to flee to avoid being trapped between frontlines, a senior official of the International Committee of the Red Cross told Reuters.

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South Sudanese flee as country edges closer to 'genocide'

KARUKWAT, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Charity Mandulu said the executions began soon after government soldiers - around 100 of them mostly from South Sudan President Salva Kiir's Dinka ethnic group - arrived in her home town of Tore Payam.

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U.N. slaps new sanctions on North Korea to slash cash from exports

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Wednesday aimed at cutting its annual export revenue by a quarter, after Pyongyang carried out its fifth and largest nuclear test so far in September.

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North Korea rejects U.N. resolution, vows stronger self-defense measures: KCNA

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's foreign ministry said on Thursday it rejects the latest U.N. Security Council resolution imposing fresh sanctions against the country for its September nuclear test, saying it denied its sovereignty and right to survival.

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Iraq's Shi'ite militias could prove bigger test than Mosul

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - In early June, two Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias under the nominal control of the Iraqi government stormed into an Iraqi military airbase north of Baghdad. Driving armored vehicles and wielding rocket launchers, they took over a building on the base.

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Aleppo rebels hope to reverse fortunes with new alliance

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Rebels in Aleppo have agreed to form a new military alliance to better organize the defense of parts of the city they control from a ferocious assault by the government and its allies, officials in two of the insurgent groups said on Thursday.

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Ukraine starts missile test near Crimea, angering Russia

KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Ukraine began two days of missile tests near Crimea on Thursday - a move that has angered Russia, which has put its air defence forces on high alert and deployed warships in the Black Sea.

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