Trump's defense chief heads to Asia, eying China, North Korea threat

WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's defense secretary is expected to underscore U.S. security commitments to key allies South Korea and Japan on his debut trip to Asia this week as concerns mount over North Korea's missile program and tensions with China.

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U.S. to apply 'extreme vetting' in refugee swap deal with Australia

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The United States will apply 'extreme vetting' to up to 1,250 asylum seekers it has agreed to resettle as part of a deal with Australia, a spokesman for President Trump said in the United States on Tuesday.

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Germany's Schulz calls Trump 'un-American', warns against lifting Russia sanctions

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's center-left chancellor candidate Martin Schulz has criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's policies as "un-American" and warned against lifting sanctions imposed against Russia over its role in the Ukraine crisis.

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EU chair labels Trump a 'threat' as Europeans debate U.S. ties

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Donald Trump has joined Russia, China and radical Islam as a threat to the European Union, EU leaders were told on Tuesday by the man chairing a summit where they will debate relations with the United States.

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U.N. chief warns border control policies must not discriminate

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday emphasized the need for nondiscriminatory border controls, comments widely seen as a criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump’s temporary freeze on U.S. entry for all refugees and citizens from seven Muslim nations.

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Some nations affected by U.S. immigration order may stay on list: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some of the seven Muslim-majority countries affected by President Donald Trump's executive action on immigration will not likely be taken off the list any time soon, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said on Tuesday.

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Canada shooting suspect rented apartment close to Quebec mosque: neighbors

QUEBEC CITY (Reuters) - The French-Canadian student accused of killing six people during evening prayers in a Quebec City mosque had rented an apartment nearby, neighbors said on Tuesday, a sign he may have been targeting the house of worship.

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Iraq will not retaliate against Trump's visa ban: PM

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq will not retaliate to U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban against Iraqi nationals because it does not want to lose Washington's cooperation in the war on Islamic State, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday.

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French parliament searched as part of probe into Fillon's wife's 'fake job': source

PARIS (Reuters) - Investigators are searching the French lower house of parliament as part of a probe into allegations that the wife of presidential candidate Francois Fillon had a "fake job", a parliamentary source said on Tuesday.

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Kiev and Kremlin trade blame over surge in east Ukraine fighting

KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Ukraine and Russia blamed each other on Tuesday for a surge in fighting in eastern Ukraine over recent days that has led to the highest casualty toll in weeks and cut off power and water to thousands of civilians on the front line.

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Asia targets tourism, education boost from Trump travel ban

KUALA LUMPUR/BANGKOK (Reuters) - Seeking to capitalize on U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial new travel restrictions, companies and officials in Asia said they would target greater tourism and education ties with Muslims worried about the curbs.

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U.S. envoy says no American weapons buildup in Philippines

MANILA (Reuters) - The United States ambassador to the Philippines on Tuesday rebuffed accusations by President Rodrigo Duterte that American troops were building arms depots in five Philippine bases, in breach of a security deal.

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Lawyer's killing meant to 'destabilise' Myanmar, says president's office

YANGON (Reuters) - The office of Myanmar's civilian president said on Tuesday that the assassination of a lawyer advising the ruling party on amending a military-drafted constitution was likely an effort to destabilise the country.

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France, worried by Trump, promises to be defender of Iran nuclear deal

TEHRAN (Reuters) - France vowed on Monday to act as defender of Iran's nuclear deal, which U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to tear up, but said it was imperative Tehran abide strictly by the conditions of the accord.

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Mexico sees signs of U.S. change on wall payment

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - There are signs the U.S. government is taking a more flexible view of how to pay for its planned border wall with Mexico, and new meetings to craft future bilateral relations could take place soon, a top Mexican official said on Monday.

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Mexico says Israel should apologize over Netanyahu wall tweet

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Israel should apologize for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's praise for U.S. President Donald Trump's plans to build a wall on the Mexican border, Mexico's foreign minister said on Monday, calling it an "aggression" against the country.

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Fillon couple speaking to French financial prosecutors: BFM TV

PARIS (Reuters) - French election candidate Francois Fillon and his wife Penelope are being questioned by prosecutors as part of an investigation following press allegations that Penelope Fillon was paid for fake jobs, BFM television said on Monday.

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Trump travel ban leaves Iraq's persecuted Yazidis in limbo

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Khudeeda Naif won refuge in the United States as a member of Iraq's Yazidi minority, but what he fears more than religious persecution is retribution for his brother's work as an interpreter for the U.S. army in Iraq.

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Iraq asks Trump administration to 'reconsider' travel ban

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq has asked the United States to reconsider the travel ban on its citizens, the foreign ministry said on Monday, taking a more diplomatic line than the Iraqi parliament which had demanded the government "retaliate".

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Mixed message as Philippine military says no U.S. armory moves

MANILA (Reuters) - The United States is not creating weapons stores or armories in the Philippines, military officials said on Monday, contradicting President Rodrigo Duterte who has complained of a U.S. breach of a defense pact that could stoke regional tension.

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Ukraine says more soldiers killed in deadliest clashes in weeks

KIEV (Reuters) - Five Ukrainian soldiers were killed and nine wounded as a result of an offensive by pro-Russian separatists over the weekend, the Ukrainian military said on Monday - the deadliest fighting in eastern regions since mid-December

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Rights group, thinktank urge Myanmar to unravel truth of lawyer's murder

YANGON (Reuters) - Human rights group Amnesty International and a thinktank have urged Myanmar to investigate the apparent assassination of prominent Muslim lawyer Ko Ni, whose shooting at Yangon airport shocked the Southeast Asian nation.

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Trump, South Korea's Hwang agree to strengthen defenses against North Korea: White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn agreed to take steps to strengthen joint defense capabilities to defend against North Korea's nuclear threat, the White House said on Sunday after a telephone call between the two leaders.

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Five dead in Quebec City mosque shooting: mosque president

QUEBEC CITY (Reuters) - Five people were killed after gunmen opened fire in a Quebec City mosque during evening prayers, the mosque's president told reporters on Sunday.

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Saudi king agrees in call with Trump to support Syria, Yemen safe zones: White House

WASHINGTON/RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Salman, in a phone call on Sunday with U.S. President Donald Trump, agreed to support safe zones in Syria and Yemen, a White House statement said.

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Trump says U.S. will resume issuing visas to all countries over next 90 days

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump, trying to quell a backlash over his "extreme vetting" order, said the United States would resume issuing visas to all countries once secure policies are put in place over the next 90 days.

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Commando dies in U.S. raid in Yemen which kills 30 Qaeda members, civilians

SANAA/DUBAI (Reuters) - A U.S. commando died in a dawn raid in southern Yemen on Sunday that killed around 30 people including al Qaeda suspects and civilians, the U.S. military and local Yemeni officials said.

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Syrian Christians denied entry to U.S. in Philadelphia: Lebanese airport sources

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Syrian Christian Orthodox family was turned back from Philadelphia International Airport after traveling to the United States from Lebanon, airport sources in Beirut said on Sunday.

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Iraq to oppose U.S. travel curbs, keen to preserve cooperation against Islamic State

BAGHDAD/MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq plans to lobby against new restrictions on travel to the United States by Iraqis, arguing the two countries need to preserve their alliance against Islamic State (IS), two members of the Iraqi parliament close to the government said on Sunday.

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U.S. service member killed in raid on al Qaeda in Yemen: Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. service member was killed and three were wounded in a raid on al Qaeda headquarters in Yemen on Saturday, the Pentagon said.

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Netanyahu in hot water over praise of Trump's wall

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - When Benjamin Netanyahu sent a tweet in support of President Donald Trump's plan for a wall along the Mexican border, the Israeli prime minister can barely have expected it would be retweeted 40,000 times and cause a backlash at home and abroad.

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Under fire, British PM May criticizes Trump curb on refugees

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain did not agree with U.S. President Donald Trump's curbs on immigration after facing criticism from lawmakers in her own party for not condemning his executive order when initially questioned.

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Trump talks to Putin, other world leaders about security threats

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump discussed Syria and the fight against Islamic State with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday in one of several calls with world leaders that the new U.S. president used to put his stamp on international affairs.

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Trump says new order on refugees is not a Muslim ban

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Saturday his executive order curbing immigration into the United States was not a ban on Muslims and was working out well.

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Trump's call for deadlier Islamic State push may hit limits

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order calling for a military plan to defeat Islamic State, expected in the coming week, is likely to see the Pentagon revisiting options for a more aggressive use of firepower and American troops.

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Putin and Trump agree to try to rebuild U.S.-Russia ties, cooperate in Syria

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to try to rebuild U.S. Russia ties and to cooperate in Syria, the Kremlin said on Saturday, after the two men spoke for the first time since Trump's inauguration.

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Iraqis with U.S. ties are first to sue over Trump immigration order

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An initial volley in a potential barrage of legal challenges to President Donald Trump's new restrictions on immigration came on Saturday on behalf of two Iraqis with ties to U.S. security forces who were detained at New York's JFK Airport.

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Syrian family with U.S. visas denied boarding Paris-Atlanta flight: Lebanese airport sources

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Syrian family with visas to travel to the United States was prevented from boarding a flight bound from Paris to Atlanta on Saturday, and returned to their departure airport of Beirut, Lebanese airport sources said.

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Canada's WestJet turns back U.S.-bound passenger, to give refund

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's WestJet Airlines said it turned back a passenger bound for the United States on Saturday in order to comply with an executive order that prohibits people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.

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In Middle East, U.S. travel curbs decried as unjust, insulting

CAIRO/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Arabs and Iranians planning U.S. trips reacted with fury on Saturday to new American travel curbs they said were insulting and discriminatory, as five Iraqis and a Yemeni were stopped from boarding a New York-bound flight in Cairo.

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Green card holders included in Trump ban: Homeland Security

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People holding so-called green cards, making them legal permanent U.S. residents, are included in President Donald Trump's executive action temporarily barring people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, a Department of Homeland security spokeswoman said on Saturday.

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Syrian army seizes Damascus water source as rebels withdraw - pro-government media, monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government forces took back control of an area near Damascus that provides most of the capital's water supplies after reaching a deal for rebel fighters to withdraw, pro-government media and a monitoring group said.

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Five Iraqis, one Yemeni barred from Cairo-New York flight - airport sources

CAIRO (Reuters) - Five Iraqi passengers and one Yemeni were barred from boarding an EgyptAir flight from Cairo to New York on Saturday following President Donald Trump's ban on the entry of citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries, sources at Cairo airport said.

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Trump says he is only in early stages of considering lifting Russia sanctions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he is only in the early stages of considering whether to lift U.S. sanctions on Russia, as British Prime Minister Theresa May, other foreign officials and U.S. lawmakers cautioned that such a move would be premature.

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U.N. agencies urge Trump to allow refugees entry

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations refugee agency and International Organization for Migration (IOM) called on the Trump administration on Saturday to continue offering asylum to people fleeing war and persecution, saying its resettlement program was vital.

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Merkel: Security will be key issue in Germany's 2017 election campaign

GREIFSWALD, Germany (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that security would be a major issue in the campaign leading up to a federal election on Sept. 24, in which she is seeking a fourth term.

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North Korea appears to have restarted plutonium reactor: think tank

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New commercial satellite imagery indicates North Korea has resumed operation of a reactor at its main nuclear site used to produce plutonium for its nuclear weapons program, a U.S. think tank said on Friday.

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History of music

History of music

(EN) SteamBroker

What is "SteamBroker"?

SteamBroker service provides marketplace to trade items from digital distribution platform Steam™. Using our marketplace you can buy goods from other users or sell any items from your inventory yourself, which can be exchanged with Steam™ trade offers. For example, items from such games as Dota 2™, Counter Strike: Global Offensive™ (CS:GO), Team Fortress™, Unturned™ and so on. Also it's possible to buy and sell Steam Trading Cards and any games, presented as a Steam gifts if you already can exchange it. You will pay a price set by other users for it, so will guarantee you lowest possible prices. You can even get discounts in case of constant use of our service.

SteamBroker guarantees the absolute security for all deals. All items will be exchanged through our service Steam accounts, these accounts will be your automatic MiddleMan and will guarantee an accuracy of transferring the items to the buyer and money paid to seller.

Go to SteamBroker

SteamBroker

Что такое "SteamBroker"?

Сервис SteamBroker предоставляет площадку для торговли вещами из сервиса цифровой дистрибуции Steam. На нашей площадке вы можете купить у других пользователей или продать сами любые предметы из Вашего инвентаря, которые возможно передать через торговое предложение Steam. Например, вещи из таких игр как Dota™ 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive™ (CS:GO), Team Fortress™ 2, H1Z1 и прочих. А так же возможна продажа коллекционных карточек Steam и даже игр, в виде подарков в инвентаре, которые так же возможно передавать. Вы можете купить вещи за ту цену, которую указывают другие пользователи, что гарантирует отличные цены без лишних наценок.

Так же Вы можете использовать наш сайт как магазин для своих предметов. Вы получите персональную ссылку которая будет отображать только Ваши предметы.

Наш сервис гарантирует абсолютную безопасность всех сделок. Товары передаются через наши сервисные аккаунты Steam, которые выступают в качестве гаранта и контролируют точность получения вещей покупателем и выплату денег продавцу.

Перейти на SteamBroker

(EN) Steam-Trader

Steam-trader.com - Trade platform Dota2, CS:GO, TF2, Gifts.

It is a unique traiding platform, allowing you to buy and sell cosmetic items of Dota 2, CS:GO, Team Fortress2 or Games (Gifts) for real money, at the best prices! Trading platform consists of four sections, which are interlinked by a shared wallet that will allow you to sell things in one section and buy them in another. Deposit and withdrawal funds available with the help of multiple payment systems. Earn - resting! Successful auction!

Go to Steam-trader

Steam-Trader

Steam-trader - Торговая площадка Dota2, CS:GO, TF2, Gifts.

Это уникальная торговая площадка, позволяющая покупать и продавать Игры или Гифты (Gift) Steam, а так же вещи Dota 2, CS:GO, Team Fortress2 за реальные деньги, без комиссии! Торговая площадка состоит из четырех разделов, которые связанны между собой общим кошельком, что позволит вам продавать вещи в одном разделе и покупать их в другом. Пополнение счета и вывод средств доступно при помощи множества платежных систем.

Выводи деньги из Steam! Зарабатывай - отдыхая!

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WFP, short of funds, halves food rations to displaced Iraqis

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - The World Food Programme said on Friday it had halved the food rations distributed to 1.4 million Iraqis displaced in the war against Islamic State because of delays in payments of funds from donor states.

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Putin and Trump likely to discuss Ukraine sanctions: White House aide

WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are likely to discuss the sanctions that Washington imposed on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine when the two leaders speak by telephone on Saturday, a senior White House aide said.

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WFP, short of funds, halves food rations to displaced Iraqis

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - The World Food Programme said on Friday it had halved the food rations distributed to 1.4 million Iraqis displaced in the war against Islamic State because of delays in payments of funds from donor states.

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Merkel expected to speak with Trump about Russia on Saturday: source

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is likely to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday and the conversation is expected to focus on Russia, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

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Trump's hopes for Syria safe zones may force decision on Assad

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's push to create safe zones in Syria could force him to make some risky decisions about how far to go to protect refugees, including shooting down Syrian or Russian aircraft or committing thousands of U.S. troops, experts said.

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Putin, Trump to speak by phone for first time on Saturday: TASS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are expected to hold their first phone call this Saturday, the TASS news agency cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.

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I'm no Trump, says battle-hardened sponsor of Miss Universe in Manila

MANILA (Reuters) - Luis Singson, a larger-than-life Filipino tycoon who has brought the Miss Universe pageant to Manila, has much in common with the man who owned the franchise two years ago: U.S. President Donald J. Trump.

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Mattis stresses commitment to NATO to German defense chief: Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary James Mattis stressed the United States' commitment to NATO in a telephone call with Germany's defense minister on Thursday, the Pentagon said.

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Syria rebels await action from Trump on safe zones, Damascus silent

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels urged President Donald Trump to fulfill a pledge to create safe zones in their country, but analysts doubted he would proceed with a step that could drag Washington deeper into war, hasten Syria's fragmentation and risk conflict with Russia. 

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Mexico president cancels Trump summit as wall taunt deepens spat

MEXICO CITY/PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Mexico's president on Thursday scrapped a planned summit with Donald Trump in the face of insistent tweets from the U.S. president demanding Mexico pay for a border wall, a deepening spat that threatens Mexican efforts to salvage trade ties.

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'Opposites attract,' UK PM calls on Trump for deeper special relationship

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Saying "opposites attract," Prime Minister Theresa May called on President Donald Trump on Thursday to build a stronger "special relationship" between Britain and the United States to withstand new, modern-day threats.

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Facing jihadist attack, Syrian rebels join bigger faction

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham said on Thursday six other rebel factions had joined its ranks in northwestern Syria in order to fend off a major assault by a powerful jihadist group.

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UK government takes first step towards triggering Brexit

LONDON (Reuters) - Brexit minister David Davis began the process of passing a law that enables the government to trigger Britain's exit from the European Union, saying on Thursday he expected the legislation to pass quickly.

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Even with new leader, Germany's SPD will struggle to take power

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) may look reinvigorated with a new leader, Martin Schulz, set to take on conservative Angela Merkel in September's election, but their chances of leading a left-wing coalition to oust the chancellor remain slim.

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Gaza's water shortage worsening, no easy solutions seen

GAZA (Reuters) - Marwan An-Najar, a Palestinian from the south of the Gaza Strip, says he has not tasted sweet tap water in 10 years. Every day, he travels four kilometers (2.5 miles) to fill a 20-litre plastic jerrycan at a local desalination station.

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Turkey says waiting to see outcome of Trump's Syria safe zones call

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey is waiting to see the outcome of U.S. President Donald Trump's pledge to order safe zones in Syria, and has long advocated such a plan, Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu said on Thursday.

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Russia says no direct contacts yet between White House and Kremlin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Direct contacts between the White House and the Kremlin have not been established since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

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Brazil police raid home of former billionaire Batista, TV says

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian police and federal prosecutors conducted a series of raids and searches on Thursday related to a massive corruption probe, with one of the targets being former billionaire Eike Batista, news channel GloboNews reported.

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Japan hotel chain could remove books denying Nanjing Massacre from some hotels

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese hotel chain at the center of a furor over books its president wrote denying the Nanjing Massacre in wartime China is prepared to consider removing the books from at least some hotels if it receives a formal written request to do so.

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Cuba's Castro warns Trump to respect country's sovereignty

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban President Raul Castro on Wednesday said Cuba hoped to continue to normalize relations with the United States, but made clear the Trump administration should not expect concessions affecting the country’s sovereignty.

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Mexico opposition leader urges U.N. lawsuit over Trump wall

TLAPANALOYA, Mexico (Reuters) - A leading contender for the Mexican presidency urged his government to lodge a lawsuit against U.S. President Donald Trump at the United Nations for the wall he plans to build on the border with Mexico to keep out illegal immigrants.

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U.S. Congress member met with Assad in Syria, discussed peace: CNN

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard said on Wednesday she met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and discussed the possibility of achieving peace.

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Ukraine demands say in any Russia-U.S. talks to end conflict on its territory

BERLIN (Reuters) - Ukraine must have a say in any deal struck between Russia and the United States aimed at ending violence in eastern Ukraine, its deputy foreign minister said on Wednesday.

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Trump to act on Mexico border wall, bolster immigration police

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump was expected to start signing directives on Wednesday to begin building a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico and to boost the numbers of agents policing illegal immigration, moving quickly on sweeping plans to curb immigration and boost national security.

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Jihadists crush Syria rebel group, in a blow to diplomacy

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A powerful jihadist group has crushed a Free Syrian Army rebel faction in northwestern Syria, in an attack that threatens to deal a critical blow to the more moderate wing of the Syrian rebellion and derail new Russian-backed peace talks.

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Islamic State fighters redeploy in west Mosul after Iraqi forces take east

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters have taken up sniper positions in buildings on the west bank of the Tigris river ahead of an expected government offensive into that side the city, locals said on Wednesday.

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UK PM May says she will publish 'White Paper' setting out Brexit plan

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday she would publish her plan for Britain's exit from the European Union in a formal 'White Paper' to allow parliament to scrutinize it.

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Kremlin hails Syria talks in Astana as a success, says more possible

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Wednesday hailed Syria peace talks held in Kazakhstan as a success and said more might be held in future if there was a need.

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France's Fillon says press report about his wife shows 'contempt'

PARIS (Reuters) - French presidential election frontrunner Francois Fillon said on Wednesday that he was outraged at a press report that his wife had been paid for fake work and said the article showed "contempt and misogyny".

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Somali militants ram car bomb into hotel, killing at least 13

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Islamist militants rammed a car bomb into the gate of a hotel and stormed inside, killing at least 13 people in Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Wednesday, police said.

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South Korean governor's island visit 'extremely regrettable': Japan

TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) - Japan on Wednesday lodged a protest with South Korea after a South Korean official visited a group of islets claimed by both countries, putting more strain on ties already damaged by the legacy of Japan's 1910-1945 rule of Korea.

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Report cites growing corruption, sees link with rising populism

BERLIN (Reuters) - Growing levels of perceived corruption and social inequality provided fertile ground for the rise of populist politicians in 2016, global watchdog Transparency International said on Wednesday.

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Artist defends nude portrait of Korea's Park after brush with law

SEOUL (Reuters) - An impressionist-style painting of impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye lying in the nude has caused a new uproar in a country already engulfed in a corruption scandal and political crisis.

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Trump's defense chief eyes debut trip to Japan, South Korea next week

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's defense secretary plans to visit Japan and South Korea next week, choosing the two close U.S. allies for his debut trip abroad as Pentagon chief, a U.S. official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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Israel plans more than 2,500 new settler homes to start Trump era

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel announced plans on Tuesday for 2,500 more settlement homes in the occupied West Bank, the second such declaration since U.S. President Donald Trump took office signaling he could be more accommodating toward such projects than his predecessor.

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Foreign powers back Syria truce deal, war erupts among rebels

ASTANA (Reuters) - Russia and regional powers Turkey and Iran backed a shaky truce between Syria's warring parties on Tuesday and agreed to monitor its compliance, but on the ground rebels faced continued fighting on two fronts which could undermine the deal.

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France's Fillon acts to head off scandal over wife's work

PARIS (Reuters) - The frontrunner in France's presidential election race, conservative Francois Fillon, acknowledged on Tuesday that his wife had worked for him when he was a legislator, but denied a media report that she had been paid for fictitious employment.

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Brazil probe sees no mechanical failure in judge's plane crash

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A small plane carrying a Brazilian Supreme Court justice overseeing a political bribery investigation did not suffer any obvious mechanical failure when it crashed into a bay amid heavy rain and killed all five on board, investigators said on Tuesday.

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U.N. 'racing' to prepare aid for civilians ahead of battle for west Mosul

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Tuesday it is "racing against the clock" to prepare emergency aid for hundreds of thousands of endangered civilians in Mosul with an Iraqi army offensive looming to oust Islamic State from the western half of the city.

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Iraqi PM Abadi confirms capture of east Mosul: State TV

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi confirmed on Tuesday that all of eastern Mosul has been captured from Islamic State, state TV said.

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Parliament must vote before UK can trigger Brexit, top court rules

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May must give parliament a vote before she can formally start Britain's exit from the European Union, the UK Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday, giving lawmakers who oppose her Brexit plans a shot at amending them.

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Trump makes early move on restricting abortions around the world

NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday reinstated a global gag rule that bans U.S.-funded groups around the world from discussing abortion, a move that was widely expected but nonetheless dismayed women's rights advocates.

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China urges U.S. to act and speak cautiously on South China Sea

BEIJING (Reuters) - China urged the United States on Tuesday to act and speak cautiously on the South China Sea, saying China has irrefutable sovereignty over the Spratly Islands.

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Turkey will not hand over al-Bab to Syrian government forces: deputy PM

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Claims that Turkey will hand over the Syrian town of al-Bab to President Bashar al-Assad's forces after driving out Islamic State are not true, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told the state-run Anadolu agency on Tuesday.

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Scandal, gaffes mar ex-U.N. chief's presidential prospects in South Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) - It has been an inauspicious return to crisis-plagued South Korea for former U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, once the odds-on favorite to be the next president, who has been ensnared in a family corruption scandal and struggled with a skeptical press.

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Egyptian state TV airs video of murdered Italian student Regeni

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian state television has aired footage of Italian student Giulio Regeni, who was found murdered in Cairo almost a year ago, speaking to the head of a Cairo street vendors' union who reported him to police a few weeks before his death.

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Trump White House vows to stop China taking South China Sea islands

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The new U.S. administration of President Donald Trump vowed on Monday that the United States would prevent China from taking over territory in international waters in the South China Sea, something Chinese state media has warned would require Washington to "wage war."

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U.S. military denies coordinating Syria air strikes with Russia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Monday denied that it had coordinated air strikes with Russia in Syria, after Russia's defense ministry said the United States had provided coordinates for Islamic State militants.

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Russia and Turkey push Syria's warring sides to seal truce

ASTANA (Reuters) - Syria's warring sides met for their first talks in nine months on Monday, with their Russian and Turkish backers pushing to cement a ceasefire that could pave the way for political talks.

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Iraqi forces take complete control of eastern Mosul: defense ministry

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces have captured all of eastern Mosul, dislodging Islamic State militants from the last pocket they held east of Tigris river, the defense ministry said on Monday.

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UK's Supreme Court to rule if May can start Brexit without parliament

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May will learn on Tuesday whether parliament must agree to the triggering of Britain's exit from the European Union, potentially giving lawmakers who oppose her plans a chance to amend or hinder her Brexit vision.

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Nine Indonesians dead, 29 missing after boat capsizes off Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A boat ferrying 40 people from Indonesia capsized off Malaysia's coast on Monday and at least nine people were killed and nearly 30 were missing, the latest accident involving migrant workers in overloaded boats.

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China urges Trump administration to grasp importance of 'one China'

BEIJING (Reuters) - The new U.S. administration must fully understand the importance of the "one China" policy and appreciate that the issue of Taiwan is highly sensitive for the Beijing government, China said on Monday.

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France's Valls urges big second round turnout as presidential bid stumbles

PARIS (Reuters) - Former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls called on Monday for a big turnout in the second round of the Socialist primaries after a first round vote made left-wing rival Benoit Hamon frontrunner to represent the party in this year's presidential election.

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Canada's Trudeau, ministers to discuss Trump plans for NAFTA

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will begin a two-day retreat with his cabinet on Monday, focused mainly on the best approach to take with new U.S. President Donald Trump, whose vow to renegotiate NAFTA could damage Canada's economy.

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Direct Syrian talks yet to be agreed in Astana

ASTANA (Reuters) - Parties to the Syrian peace talks in Astana have yet to agree on face-to-face meetings between the delegations of the Damascus government and rebel groups, Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko said on Monday.

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Syria's warring sides gather for new attempt to break deadlock

ASTANA (Reuters) - Syria's warring sides meet in Kazakhstan's capital on Monday with Russia, Turkey and Iran, sponsors of the talks, trying to make progress towards a goal others have repeatedly failed to reach: an end to the six-year-old conflict.

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Trump to begin renegotiating NAFTA pact soon with Mexico, Canada

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he plans talks soon with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to begin renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement.

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Netanyahu says Trump invites him to Washington in February

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump had invited him to a meeting in Washington in February.

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Trump says call with Israel's Netanyahu was 'very nice'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said his phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday was "very nice."

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Iraqi general's tour suggests tough fight ahead in west Mosul

MOSUL (Reuters) - Residents of east Mosul held up their children and took selfies with Iraqi counter-terrorism commander Lieutenant General Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi after his men cleared Islamic State fighters from their neighbourhoods.

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Brazilian authorities build temporary wall to quell deadly prison clashes

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian security officials worked to complete an improvised wall of metal shipping containers on Sunday inside a prison where rival gangs have clashed in the past week, resulting in the brutal killing of 26 inmates.

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Thousands protest outside Taiwan Presidential Office over pension reform plan

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Thousands of military personnel, teachers, police and civil servants protested a plan to reform Taiwan's pension system outside of the Presidential Office in Taipei on Sunday, as a national conference to discuss reform was held in the Office.

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Israel municipality approves hundreds of settlement homes in east Jerusalem

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Jerusalem municipality approved building permits for more than 560 housing units in three East Jerusalem settlements on Sunday, two days after President Donald Trump took office in the United States.

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Russia should not think sanctions will be lifted soon: PM

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia should part with the illusion that Western sanctions against the country will be lifted soon, Russian Prime Minster Dmitry Medvedev said on Sunday.

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Pope Francis says 'wait and see' on Trump

MADRID (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday said he would not make an opinion of Donald Trump until he first had a chance to see specific policies the new U.S. president would implement.

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China party paper says no 'provocation' can stop its military drills

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's military will carry out drills regardless of foreign provocations and pressure, the Communist Party's paper said on Sunday, adding that exercises far out at sea like those conducted recently by its sole aircraft carrier will become normal.

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Sixteen dead, many Hungarian teenagers, in Italy bus accident: police

VERONA, Italy/BUDAPEST (Reuters) - At least 16 people were killed and dozens injured, after a bus carrying Hungarian students crashed and burst into flames in northern Italy, authorities said on Saturday.

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Mexico president talks with Trump as faces populist pressure at home

IXMIQUILPAN, MEXICO (Reuters) - Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump by phone on Saturday ahead of talks among their officials in Washington next week as the Mexico leader faces populist pressure from a frontrunner in the 2018 election.

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French primary vote to leave two in running for Socialist presidential nomination

PARIS (Reuters) - The battle to decide the Socialist candidate for the French presidential election will be whittled down to two in a primary vote on Sunday in which ex-prime minister Manuel Valls faces an outside risk of failing to make it to the party runoff.

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Trump to meet with British Prime Minister May next week: White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet next week with British Prime Minister Theresa May and has talked about meeting Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Jan. 31, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters on Saturday.

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Canada says U.S. entitled to mobile phone search at border

OTTAWA (Reuters) - U.S. authorities are entitled to search the mobile devices of Canadians seeking to cross the border, a spokesman for Ralph Goodale, Canada's public safety minister, said on Saturday.

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Trudeau speaks with Trump about trade: prime minister's office

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump about trade and congratulated him on his inauguration, according to the prime minister's office.

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Afghanistan's Abdullah welcomes Trump commitment to troops

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan chief executive Abdullah Abdullah on Saturday expressed hope that the United States would continue its support for the Afghan government after American President Donald Trump publicly spoke with U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan after his inauguration on Friday.

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Russia's Putin ready to meet Trump, preparations may take months: TASS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to meet U.S. President Donald Trump but preparations for the possible meeting may take months, not weeks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS news agency.

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Asian media decry isolationist Trump, fear economic, diplomatic turmoil

TOKYO, (Reuters) - A day after Donald Trump became U.S. President and vowed to put "America First", Asian media decried his isolationist policies, fearing they will chill the global economy and sow widespread international discord.

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Thousands protest Trump as 'sister marches' begin in Australia and New Zealand

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters in Australia and New Zealand on Saturday joined the first of hundreds of womens' marches organized around the world in a show of disapproval of U.S. President Donald Trump as he began his first day in office.

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Mexico seeks stronger U.S. ties despite Trump campaign barbs

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's president said on Friday he wanted to strengthen relations with his new U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, whose threats and barbs against the country raised fears of a major economic crisis, and battered its currency.

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In Trump We Trust: Inauguration prompts celebration in Russia

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin may have spent years reviling America, but Russians hoping Donald Trump will usher in a new era of detente marked his inauguration on Friday with parties and trinkets from commemorative coins to "matryoshka" nesting dolls in his image.

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U.S. air strike in Syria kills more than 100 al Qaeda members: defense official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. air strike on Thursday targeting an al Qaeda training camp in Syria killed more than 100 militants, a U.S. defense official said on Friday.

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Gambia army chief recognizes President Barrow as commander-in-chief

BANJUL (Reuters) - Gambia's army chief General Ousman Badjie told Reuters on Friday that he recognized new President Adama Barrow as the new commander-and-chief and would not fight a regional force poised to depose Yahya Jammeh, who has refused to step down.

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Six survivors found two days after Italian avalanche

PENNE, Italy (Reuters) - Six people including a young boy were found alive on Friday two days after being buried under an avalanche that flattened a mountain hotel in central Italy, a national fire brigade official said.

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Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo' to appear in New York court on Friday

NEW YORK CITY (Reuters) - Mexican cartel kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is expected to appear in a court in New York on Friday, shortly after his surprise extradition from Mexico ended a decades-long career in drug-trafficking, dare-devil jail breaks and murder.

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Several people injured after car hits pedestrians in Australian city Melbourne

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Several people were injured when a car hit pedestrians in the centre of Australia's second largest city Melbourne on Friday, emergency services said.

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Mexico's El Chapo: From most wanted kingpin to extradited jailbird

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Mexico's most notorious kingpin who escaped two maximum-security jails, shipped countless tonnes of drugs around the world and became one of the world´s most-wanted fugitives, was extradited to the United States on Thursday.

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Wikileaks' founder Assange says stands by U.S. extradition offer

LONDON (Reuters) - WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange, who has been holed up at Ecuador's London embassy since 2012, said on Thursday he stood by his offer to be extradited to the United States providing his rights were protected.

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U.S. sees North Korea activity signaling possible missile test-launch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is seeing activity in North Korea that indicates a possible future ballistic missile test, although the timing of the test and range of the missile remain unclear, U.S. officials told Reuters on Thursday.

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U.S. bombers hit Islamic State militants in Libya: U.S. defense officials

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. B-2 bombers carried out air strikes against Islamic State camps outside of Sirte, Libya, on Wednesday night, killing dozens of militants, U.S. defense officials said on Thursday.

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Iraq counts on U.S. advisers, mostly out of sight, in war on Islamic State

BARTELLA, Iraq (Reuters) - When Iraqi forces faced a fierce Islamic State counter-attack last month at a hospital in Mosul they had stormed without enough troops to hold it, U.S. advisers behind the front lines shepherded them to safety.

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Exclusive: Kremlin plans special clinic for Putin's top officials

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin is planning to build an exclusive health clinic for President Vladimir Putin and senior officials, according to documents seen by Reuters and to medical sources familiar with the project.

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UK PM May says Britain faces momentous change as it leaves EU

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Britain is facing a period of momentous change following its decision to leave the European Union and will need to forge a new role in the world, Prime Minister Theresa May told the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.

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Avalanche hits Italian hotel, many feared dead under snow

PENNE, Italy (Reuters) - A huge avalanche ploughed into a luxury mountain hotel in central Italy after a series of strong earthquakes rattled the area, and up to 30 people might be buried under the snow, officials said on Thursday.

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Kremlin hits out at Obama, says was always ready for nuclear arms cuts

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Thursday disputed a statement by outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama on nuclear arms cuts, saying Russia had always been ready to consider making proportional cuts to its arsenal.

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At least 38 firefighters hurt as Tehran building collapses: Iran state TV

ANKARA (Reuters) - At least 38 firefighters were injured when a blazing high-rise commercial building in downtown Tehran collapsed, state television reported on Thursday.

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Vietnam police halt anti-China protest over islands

HANOI (Reuters) - Police in Vietnam's capital stopped an anti-China protest within minutes on Thursday at a ceremony to commemorate a clash between the two countries in the South China Sea more than four decades ago.

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Islamic State kills 12 in Palmyra, among them teachers, soldiers: monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State militants put at least 12 people to death in execution-style killings in the ancient city of Palmyra, which they re-captured from the government for a second time in December, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Thursday.

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Pope to bless Philippines' Duterte, aide says

MANILA (Reuters) - Pope Francis will bless the Philippines and its leader Rodrigo Duterte, an aide to the president said, in a gesture of goodwill to a controversial figure known for his lurid lambasting of priests and bishops.

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North Korea may test-launch ICBM soon: South Korean media

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea may be preparing to test-launch a new, upgraded prototype of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), South Korean media reported on Thursday, citing military sources.

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Ukrainian president calls for global response to Russian threat

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called for a worldwide effort to counter the threat of Russian cyber warfare and urged the United States to "be great again" by demonstrating leadership on issues such as global security.

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Israel deploys 'Star Wars' missile killer system

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's upgraded ballistic missile shield became operational on Wednesday, in a "Star Wars"-like extension of its capabilities to outer space where incoming missiles can be safely destroyed.

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China's Xi says to build new relations with United States

GENEVA (Reuters) - China will build a new model of relations with the United States as part of its creation of a "circle of friends" around the world, President Xi Jinping said in a speech at the United Nations in Geneva on Wednesday.

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UK Supreme Court says it will give Brexit trigger case ruling on Tuesday

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Supreme Court will deliver its ruling next Tuesday on whether Prime Minister Theresa May can begin the process of leaving the European Union without parliament's assent.

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Iraqi troops advance in northeastern Mosul: military

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi army units advanced further into northeastern Mosul on Wednesday, pushing back Islamic State as they fought for the few districts still held by militants east of the Tigris river, a military statement said.

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Istanbul nightclub attacker says was directed by Islamic State: report

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - An Uzbek gunman who killed 39 people in an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day told police he had to change target at the last minute to avoid heavy security and acted with direct orders from Islamic State in Syria, a newspaper said on Wednesday.

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Trump's U.N. pick to echo his criticism of world body, offer some praise

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump's pick for U.N. ambassador will echo his condemnation of the world body's treatment of Israel at her Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, although offering some praise for an organization the president-elect has disparaged.

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Australia says suspended MH370 search could resume in future

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia said on Wednesday it was not ruling out a future underwater search for a missing Malaysia Airlines passenger jet as families of those on board criticised the decision to suspend the hunt after three fruitless years.

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Unsolved problems hang over Hong Kong leader's last policy address

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong's leader on Wednesday delivered his last annual policy statement before stepping down, addressing longstanding problems including high property prices and stalled political reform though providing no substantial new measures to tackle them.

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China urges U.S. not to allow Taiwan delegation to attend Trump inauguration

BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Wednesday urged the United States not to allow representatives of Taiwan to attend U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

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Britain to leave EU market as May sets 'hard Brexit' course

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will quit the EU single market when it leaves the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday in a decisive speech that set a course for a clean break with the world's largest trading bloc.

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Nigerian air force kills 52 in strike on refugee camp: MSF

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigeria's air force killed at least 52 people and injured 120 in an air strike on a refugee camp in the country's northeast on Tuesday, a spokesman from Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said after the military earlier disclosed the strike was meant to target Boko Haram militants.

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Xi says world needs China, U.S. to have stable relationship

BEIJING (Reuters) - The world needs China and the United States to have a stable and cooperative relationship, Chinese President Xi Jinping told U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, just days before new uncertainty looms with Donald Trump taking office as president.

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Iraqi forces push Islamic State further back in Mosul: military

MOSUL, Iraq/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi special forces pushed deeper into Islamic State-held districts in eastern Mosul and army units fought the insurgents inside a military base in the city's north, officials said during the day on Tuesday.

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Russia says ready to talk to Trump about nuclear arms, Syria

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow was ready to talk to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's new administration about nuclear weapons and Syria, saying the two countries could together solve many of the world's problems.

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In U.N. lawsuit, Ukraine demands Russia end support for separatists

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Ukraine filed a lawsuit at the United Nations' highest court demanding that Russia immediately halt its support for pro-Moscow separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine.

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Russia expects dialogue with Trump on nuclear weapons: Lavrov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia expects to have a dialogue with the Trump administration on strategic stability, including on nuclear weapons, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.

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Samsung chief faces long day as South Korean court weighs arrest warrant

SEOUL (Reuters) - The head of South Korea's giant Samsung Group faces a long day in court on Wednesday as a judge decides whether he should be arrested for bribery in a corruption scandal that has engulfed President Park Geun-hye's administration.

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South Korean prosecutor says to question Park by early February

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's special prosecutor's office said on Tuesday it plans to question President Park Geun-hye by early February in its investigation of a corruption scandal that saw her impeached by parliament last month.

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Cuba, United States to fight terrorism, drug trafficking and other crimes

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba and the United States on Monday signed an agreement to cooperate in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering and other international criminal activities on the eve of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

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Former U.S. officials urge Trump to talk with Iranian MEK group

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly two dozen former U.S. officials have urged President-elect Donald Trump to enter into discussions with an exiled Iranian opposition group that until 2012 was listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department.

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New Year nightclub attacker caught in Istanbul: Turkish media reports

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The gunman who killed 39 people in an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day has been caught in the city's Esenyurt district, the Hurriyet newspaper website and other media reports said on Tuesday.

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Hundreds of U.S. Marines land in Norway, irking Russia

OSLO (Reuters) - Some 300 U.S. Marines landed in Norway on Monday for a six-month deployment, the first time since World War Two that foreign troops have been allowed to be stationed there, in a deployment which has irked Norway's Arctic neighbor Russia.

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Germany says NATO concerned about Trump 'obsolete' remark

BRUSSELS/BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Foreign Minister said on Monday that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's comments that NATO was obsolete had aroused concern across the 28-member alliance.

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Syrian rebels to attend Kazakhstan peace talks

BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian rebel groups have decided to attend peace talks backed by Russia and Turkey in Kazakhstan to press for full implementation of a ceasefire they say has been widely violated by the government and its Iranian-backed allies.

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Iran sticks to deadline of nuclear deal with centrifuge move: IAEA

VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has complied with a deadline set by its landmark nuclear deal with world powers by removing hundreds of centrifuges, machines that enrich uranium, from a site buried deep inside a mountain, the U.N. atomic agency said on Monday.

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At least four dead, 12 hurt in gun fight at Mexico music festival: organizers

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - At least four people were killed and 12 were injured early on Monday when a gunman opened fire outside the Blue Parrot nightclub in Mexico's Playa del Carmen resort, during the BPM electronic music festival, organizers said in a statement.

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Trump says NATO is obsolete but still 'very important to me'

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said NATO was obsolete because it had not defended against terror attacks, but that the military alliance was still very important to him, The Times of London reported.

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Beijing will 'take off the gloves' if Trump continues on Taiwan: China Daily

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has shown restraint in the face of provocations by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump over Taiwan, but if he continues after assuming office Beijing will "take off the gloves", an official Chinese state-run newspaper said on Monday.

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Obama says U.N. vote didn't rupture U.S.-Israel relations

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama played down fallout from a U.S. abstention on a United Nations resolution last month demanding an end to Israeli settlements in occupied territory, saying it did not trigger a significant break in relations with Israel.

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Trump's offer to Putin: an end to sanctions for nuclear arms cut - London Times

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will propose offering to end sanctions imposed on Russia for its annexation of Crimea in return for a nuclear arms reduction deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he told The Times of London.

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Trump says Brexit to be 'a great thing', wants very substantial cut in nuclear weapons

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Brexit will turn out to be a "great thing" and that he wants a stocks of nuclear weapons should be reduced very substantially as part of any deal with Russia, The Times newspaper reported.

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Tibet protesters detained in Swiss capital during Xi Jinping visit

VIENNA (Reuters) - Swiss police detained 32 Tibetans and Swiss nationals protesting against a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday, a spokesman said.

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Iraqi special forces sweep Mosul University for remaining militants: spokesman

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi special forces swept through the campus of Mosul University on Sunday to clear it of any remaining Islamic State militants after taking full control of the area, a spokesman said.

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CIA director warns Trump to watch what he says, be careful on Russia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Outgoing CIA Director John Brennan on Sunday issued a stern parting rebuke to Republican Donald Trump days before he assumes the U.S. presidency, advising him not to absolve Russia for its recent actions and warning him to watch what he says.

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Iran says it will not renegotiate nuclear deal

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran will not renegotiate its nuclear agreement with world powers, even if it faces new U.S. sanctions after Donald Trump becomes president, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday.

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Kremlin says no talks about Putin-Trump meeting yet: RIA

MOSCOW (Reuters) - There have been no talks yet about a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Russia's RIA news agency quoted the Kremlin as saying on Sunday.

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Syria fighting threatens deal to fix damaged Damascus water source

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army and allied militia clashed with rebels in Wadi Barada near Damascus on Sunday, threatening to disrupt planned repair works to a pumping station that supplies most of the capital's water, a war monitor said.

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France's Ayrault says Trump Jerusalem proposal provocation

PARIS (Reuters) - France's foreign minister said on Sunday a proposal by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to move the American embassy to Jerusalem would be a provocation with serious consequences.

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Jordan's King Abdullah reshuffles government, retains PM: state tv

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan's King Abdullah on Sunday swore in a new government following a reshuffle but retained Hani Mulki as prime minister, state television reported on Sunday.

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On sensitive U.S. stopover, Taiwan leader connects to Twitter

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, carving a careful diplomatic path on her stopovers in the United States, visited the headquarters of micro-messaging service Twitter Inc on Saturday and reactivated an old account.

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At Paris meeting, major powers to warn Trump over Middle East peace

PARIS (Reuters) - Major powers will send a message to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday that a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians is the only way forward, and warn that his plan to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem could derail peace efforts.

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Merkel urges United States to stick to international cooperation

PERL-NENNIG, Germany (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday urged the United States to stick to multilateral cooperation, saying a trend towards protectionism was a risk to prosperity.

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Palestinian President Abbas says U.S. Embassy move would hurt peace

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday that if U.S. president-elect Donald Trump goes through with plans to transfer Washington's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem it will hurt the peace process.

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Cafe attack suspect arrested in Bangladesh

DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh police said on Saturday they had arrested one of the men behind a militant attack on a Dhaka cafe last year that killed 22 people, mostly foreigners.

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Air raid targeting IS militant kills up to 30 in Iraq's Mosul: residents

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Residents of the Iraqi city of Mosul said up to 30 civilians died in an air strike on a district held by Islamic State this week.

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After 2016 campaign, more Americans consider Russia a threat: Reuters/Ipsos poll

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans are more concerned than they were before the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign began about the potential threat Russia poses to the country, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Friday.

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Trump team struggles for cohesion on tougher China policy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The incoming U.S. administration’s tough talk against China has set the stage for showdowns on everything from security to trade and cyberspace, but contradictory signals are sowing uncertainty over how far President-elect Donald Trump is prepared to go in confronting Beijing.

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Exclusive: Assad linked to Syrian chemical attacks for first time

(Reuters) - International investigators have said for the first time that they suspect President Bashar al-Assad and his brother are responsible for the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict, according to a document seen by Reuters.

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Germany invites Russian minister on EU sanctions list to G20 meeting

BERLIN/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev, who is on a European Union list of Russians banned from entering the bloc, will next week attend a meeting in Berlin with his G20 counterparts at Germany's invitation.

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Mexico names new U.S. ambassador, starts role after Trump inauguration

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico named Geronimo Gutierrez, the head of the North American Development Bank, as the new ambassador to the United States, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards position for power

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iran's Revolutionary Guards look set to entrench their power and shift the country to more hardline, isolationist policies for years to come following the death of influential powerbroker Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

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Erdogan says early Turkish election not desirable, but not unthinkable

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday early elections would not be out of the question if parliament becomes unable to do its job, as lawmakers debate constitutional changes which would introduce a full presidential system.

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Breakfast at Duterte's: Abe samples Philippine leader's simple style

MANILA (Reuters) - Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe feasted on bean soup and rice cakes at the humble home of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, and sampled the down-to-earth living of a volatile new friend who is shaking up the status quo in Asia.

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Kerry says confident new U.S. administration will stick to same principles on regional security

HANOI (Reuters) - Outgoing U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday he was confident that the Trump administration would stick to the same principles on regional security as those of the Obama administration.

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Syrian army says Israel fires rockets at air base near Damascus

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian army command said on Friday that Israeli artillery fired rockets at a major military airbase outside Damascus, and warned Israel of repercussions for what it called a "flagrant" attack.

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Iraqi forces reach a second Mosul bridge, fight near university, military says

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi special forces pushed forward to reach a second bridge that links eastern Mosul to the city's west, which is still fully controlled by Islamic State, a military statement said on Friday.

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Chinese tabloid says U.S. needs to 'wage war' to block off South China Sea islands

BEIJING (Reuters) - Blocking Chinese access to islands in the South China Sea would require the U.S. to "wage war", an influential Chinese state-run tabloid said on Friday, after U.S. Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson suggested the strategy on Wednesday.

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Australia says TPP not dead, despite Trump opposition

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia has declared the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) not dead ahead of key trade talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Sydney on Saturday, despite opposition to the trade pact from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

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South Korea prosecutor to decide 'soon' whether to seek arrest warrant for Samsung's Lee

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's special prosecutors' office said on Friday it will decide "soon" whether to seek a warrant to arrest Samsung Group [SAGR.UL] leader Jay Y. Lee, who was questioned for more than 22 hours over suspicions including bribery.

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China, Russia agree on more 'countermeasures' against U.S. anti-missile system: Xinhua

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China and Russia have agreed to take further unspecified "countermeasures" in response to a U.S. plan to deploy an anti-missile system in South Korea, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.

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Obama ending policy giving residency to Cubans arriving in U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is ending a policy that granted residency to Cubans who arrived in the United States without visas, the Associated Press reported on Thursday, citing a senior administration official.

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In Mosul areas retaken from Islamic State, loss and fear linger

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi soldiers kicked in the gate of a home in eastern Mosul and emerged moments later with two young men whose hands they bound with plastic ties and dragged off toward black Humvees.

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Russia, Iran likely focus at hearing on Trump pick for defense chief

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon is expected to field tough questions about civilian control of the military as well as future U.S. policy toward Russia and Iran during his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday.

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Putin, Nazarbayev discuss preparations for Astana talks on Syria

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed preparations for Syria talks in Astana with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev by phone on Thursday, the Kremlin said in a statement.

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Iraqi forces make fresh gains in southeast Mosul: military statement

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces drove back Islamic State militants in southeastern Mosul on Thursday, making gains in an area where advances have been particularly tough, the military said in a statement.

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South Korea considering complaint to China over 'THAAD retaliation': minister

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea may complain to China about actions perceived to have been taken in retaliation for a South Korean decision last year to deploy a U.S. anti-missile system, its trade minister said on Thursday.

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China launches new electronic intelligence naval ship

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Navy has launched a new electronic reconnaissance ship, state media said on Thursday, the latest addition to an expanding fleet and as Beijing's new assertiveness to territorial claims in the South China Sea fuels tensions.

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China says its aircraft carrier leaves Taiwan Strait

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's sole aircraft carrier sailed out of the Taiwan Strait on Thursday morning, a day after Taiwan scrambled fighter jets and navy ships to shadow the carrier group through the narrow waterway separating China from the self-ruled island.

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Ex-U.N. chief Ban 'perplexed and embarrassed' over relatives' bribery case

SEOUL (Reuters) - Former United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon, who is expected to run for president of South Korea, said he was "perplexed and embarrassed" over bribery accusations brought by U.S. prosecutors this week against his brother and nephew.

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Samsung leader Lee arrives for questioning by prosecutors

SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Group [SAGR.UL] leader Jay Y. Lee arrived at the South Korean special prosecutor's office on Thursday for questioning over bribery suspicions as part of a widening influence-peddling scandal that may permanently unseat President Park Geun-hye.

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U.S. deploys high-tech radar amid heightened North Korea rhetoric: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A high-tech sea-based U.S. military radar has left Hawaii to monitor for potential North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile test launches, a U.S. defense official said on Wednesday.

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Mexico says open to talk trade, security and migration with U.S.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday said Mexico will seek to negotiate issues including trade, security and migration with the incoming U.S. administration of Donald Trump, but would not pay for a U.S. border wall.

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Trump nominee says China should be denied access to South China sea islands

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state set a course for a potentially serious confrontation with Beijing on Wednesday, saying China should be denied access to islands it has built in the contested South China Sea.

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U.S. slaps sanctions on seven North Koreans, two DPRK entities

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department said on Wednesday it had added seven North Koreans and and two North Korean government entities to its sanctions list.

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Afghan Taliban releases video of U.S., Australian hostages

KABUL (Reuters) - The Afghan Taliban released a video on Wednesday showing an Australian and an American hostage pleading with the U.S. government to negotiate with their captors and saying that unless a prisoner exchange was agreed they would be killed.

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Islamic State supporters post video of German hostage believed kidnapped

CAIRO (Reuters) - Islamic State supporters posted a video on Wednesday showing an elderly German man believed to have been kidnapped by Filipino Islamist Abu Sayyaf rebels last November.

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For Russia, U.S. election meddling claims strip Trump win of luster

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin says U.S. intelligence agency allegations it ran an influence campaign to help President-elect Donald Trump win the White House are false. But if U.S. spies are right, Moscow may wish it hadn't bothered to meddle in the first place.

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Iraqi forces push further into northeast Mosul, military says

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces made new advances against Islamic State in east Mosul and fought the militants in areas near the Tigris river on Wednesday, seeking to build on recent gains, military officials said.

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Afghan officials probe attacks as death toll rises to at least 50

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan security officials began investigating Tuesday's attacks in the capital Kabul and the southern city of Kandahar as the death toll climbed to at least 50.

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Relatives' U.S. bribery case rains on ex-U.N. chief's homecoming

SEOUL (Reuters) - A U.S. bribery case against two relatives has cast a pall over former United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon's planned return this week to South Korea, where he is expected to launch a bid to run for president.

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Taiwan scrambles jets, navy as China aircraft carrier enters Taiwan Strait

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan scrambled jets and navy ships on Wednesday as a group of Chinese warships led by China's sole aircraft carrier sailed north through the Taiwan Strait, the latest sign of heightened tensions between Beijing and the self-ruled Taiwan.

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Iraqi forces advance in Mosul but civilian toll mounts

ERBIL, Iraq/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces pushed Islamic State fighters back further in Mosul on Tuesday in a renewed effort to seize the northern city and deal a decisive blow to the militant group, though progress was slow in some districts, the army said.

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U.S. may hold fire on North Korea ICBM test to get intel, if no threat

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military might hold its fire rather than strike a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile test in order to glean intelligence, if Pyongyang's ICBM launch did not appear to pose a threat, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Tuesday.

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Russia hacked Republican state campaigns but not Trump's: FBI head

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia hacked into Republican state political campaigns and old email domains of the Republican National Committee but there is no evidence it successfully penetrated President-elect Donald Trump's campaign, FBI Director James Comey said on Tuesday.

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American charged with attempted murder of U.S. diplomat in Mexico

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. citizen was charged with the attempted murder of an American diplomat stationed at the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara, Mexico, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.

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Chinese bomber flies round contested Spratlys in show of force: U.S. official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Chinese H-6 strategic bomber flew around the Spratly Islands at the weekend in a new show of force in the contested South China Sea, a U.S. official said on Tuesday.

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Report on Russian hacking relied on human sources, technical collection: U.S. spy chief

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said on Tuesday the U.S. intelligence community's report concluding that Russia orchestrated hacks during the 2016 presidential campaign was based on a mix of human sources, collection of technical data and open-source information.

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Mexico again says there is 'no way' it will pay for Trump wall

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's new Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said there is "no way" his country will pay for the wall that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to build on the United States' southern border to keep out illegal immigrants.

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Xi to be first Chinese president to join Davos World Economic Forum

BEIJING (Reuters) - President Xi Jinping this month will become the first Chinese head of state to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, as the foreign ministry on Tuesday confirmed his widely-expected attendance at the annual meeting in the Swiss Alps.

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Iran bids farewell to former president Rafsanjani in a show of unity

DUBAI (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Iranians massed in central Tehran on Tuesday for the funeral of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in a show of unity to honor the Islamic Republic's polarizing pragmatist.

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Japan says always gathering information on North Korea's nuclear missiles

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan is always gathering and analysing information on North Korea's nuclear missile situation with great interest, its top government spokesman said on Tuesday.

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Taiwan courts Central America after U.S. visit angers China

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen praised Honduras for its loyalty on Monday at the start of a trip to four Central American nations aimed at strengthening ties, days after she met U.S. lawmakers in Texas on a visit that angered China.

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U.S. sanctions Russia's top investigator, four others for rights abuses

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday blacklisted Alexander Bastrykin, Russia's top investigator and a close aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and four other Russian officials for human rights abuses.

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Iraq special advance further in eastern Mosul: spokesman

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi special forces made further advances against Islamic State in Mosul on Monday, pushing militants out of another district a day after driving them back to the eastern bank of the Tigris river, a spokesman said.

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U.S. Navy destroyer fires warning shots at Iranian vessels: U.S. officials

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy destroyer fired three warning shots at four of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels on Sunday after they closed in at a high rate of speed in the Strait of Hormuz, two U.S. defense officials told Reuters on Monday.

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Iran to expand military spending, develop missiles

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian lawmakers approved plans on Monday to expand military spending to five percent of the budget, including developing the country's long-range missile program which U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to halt.

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Cyprus leaders start week of crunch peace talks

GENEVA (Reuters) - Leaders of ethnically split Cyprus settled down for a week of intensive talks on Monday, seeking to reach the outline of a peace deal to end decades of division.

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Syrian government ready to negotiate on 'everything', Assad says

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said his government is ready to negotiate on "everything" in proposed peace talks in Kazakhstan but said it was not yet clear who would represent the opposition and no date had been set.

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Militants attack construction workers in Indian Kashmir, kill three

SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) - Several unidentified militants attacked a camp housing road construction workers in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, killing three laborers before fleeing, said police in the restive region near the border with Pakistan.

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Chinese state tabloid warns Trump, end one China policy and China will take revenge

SHANGHAI/TAIPEI (Reuters) - State-run Chinese tabloid Global Times warned U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that China would take "take revenge" if he reneged on the one-China policy, only hours after Taiwan's president made a controversial stopover in Houston.

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U.N. chief concerned Iran may have violated arms embargo: report

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations chief expressed concern to the Security Council that Iran may have violated an arms embargo by supplying weapons and missiles to Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah, according to a confidential report, seen by Reuters on Sunday.

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Former Iran president Rafsanjani dies in blow to moderates

DUBAI (Reuters) - Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani died on Sunday at the age of 82, a big blow to moderates and reformists deprived now of their most influential supporter in the Islamic establishment.

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North Korea's missile testing 'serious threat' to U.S.: defense secretary

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea's nuclear weapons capabilities and ballistic missile defense programs constitute a "serious threat" to the United States, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Sunday.

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Trump accepts U.S. intelligence on Russia hacking: chief of staff

(Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump accepts the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia engaged in cyberattacks aimed at disrupting the U.S. elections, his incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus said on Sunday, adding that "actions may be taken" in response.

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U.S. military vows more complex training in Europe to deter Russia

BREMERHAVEN, Germany (Reuters) - The U.S. military on Sunday vowed to increase the scope and complexity of its European training exercises to deter Russian aggression, as more U.S. tanks, trucks and other equipment arrived in Germany for a big buildup on NATO's eastern flank.

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Iraqi forces reach east bank of Tigris in Mosul: Iraqi officer

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi special forces reached the eastern bank of the Tigris river in Mosul on Sunday for the first time in a U.S.-backed assault on Islamic State, and clashed with militants near a historic site in the city, military officials said.

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Netanyahu tried to negotiate a good press in return for benefits-media

(Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under police investigation for suspected corruption, was caught on tape negotiating mutual benefits with an arch-foe, the owner of one of Israel's largest-selling newspapers, Israeli media reported on Sunday.

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North Korea says can test-launch ICBM at any time: KCNA

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Sunday it can test launch an intercontinental ballistic missile at any time from any location set by leader Kim Jong Un, saying the United States' hostile policy was to blame for its arms development.

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U.S. to send 300 Marines to Afghanistan's Helmand province

KABUL (Reuters) - About 300 U.S. Marines will be sent to Afghanistan's Helmand province to assist Afghan security forces battling Taliban insurgents in intelligence and logistics matters, the unit's commander said over the weekend.

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Suicide bomb attack kills seven in Baghdad market: police, medical sources

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded marketplace in eastern Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least seven people and wounding over a dozen others, police and medical sources said.

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At least 15 people hurt by truck ramming into pedestrians in Jerusalem, driver shot: Israel radio

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A truck rammed into pedestrians in Jerusalem on a popular promenade overlooking the walled Old City of Jerusalem on Sunday, injuring at least 15 people, police and the ambulance service said, calling it a deliberate attack.

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I'll set out Brexit strategy over coming weeks: British PM May

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Sunday she would set out her strategy, including how she will try to get the right Brexit deal, over the coming weeks, denying suggestions her plans were "muddled".

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Scotland's Sturgeon says 'unacceptable' lack of knowledge on Brexit

LONDON (Reuters) - Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said on Sunday she knew little of Britain's plan to leave the European Union, a situation that was "unacceptable" six months after the Brexit vote.

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At least 12 killed, 50 wounded in eastern Baghdad car bombing: police and medics

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A car bomb blast killed at least 12 people and wounded 50 others at a vegetable market in eastern Baghdad on Sunday, police and medical sources said.

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U.S. consular official shot in Mexico, in stable condition

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - An American consular official was shot in Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city in the restive western state of Jalisco, but is now in stable condition, Mexican authorities said on Saturday.

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Fuel truck blast kills dozens in north Syrian border town

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A fuel truck exploded in the busy center of a rebel-held town near Syria's border with Turkey on Saturday, killing dozens of people and wounding dozens more, several sources said.

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Philippine troops kill two linked to group supporting Islamic State

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine security forces on Saturday killed a foreign national and his female companion who were suspected of being connected to a militant group supporting Islamic State, police officials said, two days after the group's leader was also killed.

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Trump says Mexico would repay U.S. funds spent on border wall

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Friday Mexico would repay the United States for his planned border wall, a day after news emerged that his transition team was exploring getting the Republican-led Congress to vote to approve the funding.

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Shooting breaks out at army camp in Ivory Coast's main city

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Gunfire broke out at a military base in Ivory Coast's commercial capital, Abidjan, on Saturday, a soldier and a local resident said, as unrest triggered by soldiers demanding wage increases and bonuses appeared to spread.

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Iraqi forces close in on Tigris river in Mosul: military spokesman

BARTELLA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces closed in on the river that runs through central Mosul on Saturday in advances against Islamic State that have gathered pace thanks to new tactics and better coordination, a counter-terrorism spokesman said.

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Ex-Republican Party head Barbour to lobby U.S. for Ukraine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Haley Barbour, former Republican Party leader and Mississippi governor, has been hired by the Ukrainian government to lobby U.S. politicians, according to documents filed this week.

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Syrian rebels deny report of ceasefire near Damascus

AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - A senior Syrian rebel official denied a report on Friday that a ceasefire had been reached between rebels and government forces in the Wadi Barada area near Damascus, where bombardments have knocked out the capital's main water source.

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Malaysia says search for missing MH370 to end in two weeks

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia said on Friday the hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will end in two weeks after the search is completed of a 120,000 square kilometer (9,650 sq mile) area where experts thought it went down.

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Iraqi forces launch nighttime raid as new phase of Mosul campaign unfolds

NORTH OF MOSUL, Iraq/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Elite Iraqi troops bridged a river under the cover of darkness to seize a district of Mosul in an unprecedented night raid early on Friday, part of a new phase in the battle to capture the city from Islamic State after weeks of slowed momentum.

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Iraqi forces advance against Islamic State in Mosul night raid: spokesman

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Elite Iraqi troops advanced against Islamic State militants in eastern Mosul in their first night-time raid in the city, a spokesman said on Friday, in a U.S.-backed operation which officials say is gaining momentum.

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Russia says has begun drawdown of forces in Syria

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has begun a drawdown of its military forces in Syria, news agencies quoted the head of the Russian General Staff as saying on Friday.

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Duterte hopes Russia will become Philippines' ally and protector

MANILA (Reuters) - President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday that he hoped Moscow, a rival of the Philippine's traditional ally the United States, would become his country's ally and protector as he toured one of the two Russian warships on a four-day visit to Manila.

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Japan to recall envoy from South Korea over 'comfort women' statue

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan said on Friday it was temporarily recalling its ambassador to South Korea over a statue commemorating Korean women forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War Two which it said violated an agreement to resolve the issue.

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Nuclear, missile tests show 'qualitative' improvement in North Korea capabilities: U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday North Korea had demonstrated a "qualitative" improvement in its nuclear and missile capabilities after an unprecedented level of tests last year, showing the needed to sustain pressure on Pyongyang to bring it back to disarmament negotiations.

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U.S. intercepts show Russian officials celebrating Trump win: Washington Post

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior Russian officials celebrated Donald Trump's election victory as a geopolitical win for Moscow, the Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing U.S. officials who said intercepted communications showed the Russians congratulating themselves on the outcome.

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South Korea minister says China indirectly retaliating against THAAD

SEJONG, South Korea (Reuters) - China is suspected to be taking indirect action against South Korea's decision last year to deploy a U.S. anti-missile system, South Korea's finance minister said.

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Turkey says Istanbul nightclub attacker probably Uighur

ISTANBUL/ANKARA (Reuters) - The man who killed 39 people in an attack on an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day is probably an ethnic Uighur and Turkish security services now know where he might be hiding, Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak said on Thursday.

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Berlin truck attacker used at least 14 names: German police

BERLIN/DUESSELDORF, Germany (Reuters) - The Tunisian man who killed 12 people last month by plowing a truck into a Berlin Christmas market had lived under at least 14 different names in Germany, a regional police chief said on Thursday, raising more questions about security lapses.

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Turkish police kill two suspected attackers after car bomb in Izmir

ISTANBUL/ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish police shot dead two attackers and were searching for a third after a car bomb exploded outside a courthouse in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir on Thursday, wounding at least 10 people, state media and local officials said.

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Iraqi general says 70 percent of east Mosul retaken from Islamic State

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces have retaken around 70 percent of eastern Mosul from Islamic State militants and expect to reach the river bisecting the city in the coming days, Iraq's joint operations commander told Reuters.

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Islamic State car bomb kills six in Baghdad

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A car bomb in eastern Baghdad claimed by Islamic State killed six civilians and wounded 15 on Thursday, police and medics said.

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Friend of South Korea's Park facing 'much unfairness' amid graft scandal

SEOUL (Reuters) - The friend of impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye at the center of a corruption scandal told a court on Thursday that she faces "much unfairness" and again denied criminal charges against her.

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Congress begins Russia hacking probe, Trump still skeptical of U.S. intelligence

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior U.S. intelligence officials will testify in Congress on Thursday on Russia's alleged cyber attacks during the 2016 election campaign, even as President-elect Donald Trump casts doubt on intelligence agencies' findings that Moscow orchestrated the hacks.

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Colombia says U.N. staff dancing with rebels 'distorts' peace mission

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's government on Wednesday asked a United Nations mission tasked with supervising the demobilization of Marxist FARC rebels to safeguard its neutrality, after the publication of a video showing UN staff dancing with rebels at a New Year celebration.

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U.S. to transfer four Guantanamo Bay detainees to Saudi Arabia in final push

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will transfer four detainees to Saudi Arabia from the Guantanamo prison in the next 24 hours, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, in President Barack Obama's final push to shrink the inmate population despite pressure from President-elect Donald Trump to halt such releases.

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UK's May taps career diplomat to replace EU envoy after scathing resignation

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May appointed a senior career diplomat as envoy to the European Union on Wednesday to replace an ambassador who quit with a scathing resignation letter that exposed frustration among officials over her strategy.

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Israeli soldier convicted of manslaughter in killing of wounded Palestinian assailant

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A young Israeli soldier who shot dead a Palestinian assailant lying wounded and motionless on the ground in the occupied West Bank was convicted of manslaughter on Wednesday in one of the most polarizing cases in Israel's history.

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Trump voices new doubts about Russian efforts to sway U.S. vote

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump voiced new doubts on Wednesday that Russian hackers attempted to influence the U.S. election on his behalf, accusing Democrats of lax security and saying WikiLeaks had denied Moscow was behind the documents it made public.

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Behind fence, Mexico's notorious Juarez is wary of Trump's wall

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexicans overwhelmingly say they oppose the wall U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to build along their northern border.

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Turkey says identity of Istanbul attacker established, manhunt goes on

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey has established the identity of the gunman who killed 39 people in an attack on an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day, its foreign minister said, and further arrests were made on Wednesday, but the attacker himself remains at large.

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Turkish foreign minister calls on Iran to stop truce violations in Syria

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called on Iran to exert pressure on Shi'ite-backed militias and the Syrian government to stop violating a ceasefire in Syria, warning it was putting planned peace talks in peril.

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Trump's North Korea red line could come back to haunt him

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In three words of a tweet this week, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump vowed North Korea would never test an intercontinental ballistic missile.

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Turkey extends emergency rule by three months: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's parliament voted on Tuesday in favor of extending emergency rule by a further three months, effective from Jan. 19, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

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German police raid Berlin homes connected to market attacker

BERLIN (Reuters) - German investigators searched a refugee center and a flat in Berlin on Tuesday which they believe were homes to associates of the Tunisian man who killed 12 people in an attack in the capital before Christmas, the federal prosecutor's office said.

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U.S.-led coalition carried out flights to support Turkish forces in Syria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition carried out flights in support of Turkish forces near the Islamic State-controlled Syrian town of al-Bab last week but did not carry out air strikes, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said on Tuesday.

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Gunman in Istanbul nightclub attack may have trained in Syria

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The gunman who killed 39 people in an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day in an attack claimed by Islamic State appears to have been well versed in guerrilla warfare and may have trained in Syria, a newspaper report and a security source said on Tuesday.

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Two foreign nationals detained at Istanbul airport over nightclub attack: NTV

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish police detained two foreign nationals at Istanbul's main Ataturk Airport in connection with a gun attack which killed 39 people at an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day, Turkish broadcaster NTV reported on Tuesday.

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Moscow seeks naval drills as Russian warships visit Manila

MANILA (Reuters) - Russia wants to hold maritime drills with the Philippines to help combat terrorism and piracy, sending two warships to Manila for the first official navy-to-navy contact, as President Rodrigo Duterte pivots to United States' traditional rivals.

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