Paraguay rioters storm Congress; Senate votes to amend constitution

ASUNCION (Reuters) - Protesters stormed and set fire to Paraguay's Congress on Friday after the Senate secretly voted for a constitutional amendment that would allow President Horacio Cartes to run for re-election, a change that will also require approval by the House.

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China downplays tensions with U.S. as Xi prepares to meet Trump

BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Beijing sought to play down tensions with the United States and put on a positive face on Friday as the U.S. administration slammed China on a range of business issues ahead of President Xi Jinping's first meeting with President Donald Trump.

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Syria's warring sides trade insults after Geneva talks

GENEVA (Reuters) - Negotiators from Syria's government and opposition traded insults on Friday, calling each other "terrorists" and "adolescents" after an eight-day round of peace talks in Geneva.

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Germany balks at Tillerson call for more European NATO spending

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Germany said on Friday that NATO's agreed target spend of two percent of members' yearly economic output was neither "reachable nor desirable" countering a call by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for all allies to comply and quickly.

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Protests begin, foreign pressure mounts on Venezuela's Maduro

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition protests began and foreign pressure mounted on Friday over a court takeover of Congress that many viewed as a lurch into dictatorship by a leftist government grappling with a plunge in popularity.

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EU offers Brexit trade talks, sets tough transition terms

VALLETTA/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union offered Britain talks this year on a future free trade pact but made clear in negotiating guidelines issued on Friday that London must first agree to EU demands on the terms of Brexit.

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Blast in northwest Pakistan kills at least five, wounds dozens

PARACHINAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - An explosion apparently targeting a mosque in the Pakistani city of Parachinar, in the remote northwestern tribal region bordering Afghanistan, killed at least five people and wounded dozens, a member of parliament and the local political agent said.

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Venezuela's Maduro decried as 'dictator' after Congress annulled

CARACAS (Reuters) - Opposition leaders branded Venezuela's socialist President Nicolas Maduro a "dictator" on Thursday after the Supreme Court took over the functions of Congress and pushed a lengthy political standoff to new heights.

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North Korean suspects sent home with murder victim as Malaysia makes swap

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Three North Koreans wanted for questioning in the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of their country's leader were believed to be returning home with the coffin of the victim on Friday after Malaysia agreed a swap deal with the reclusive state.

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Trump says trade gap will make China meeting 'a very difficult one'

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump set the tone for a tense first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week by tweeting on Thursday that the United States could no longer tolerate massive trade deficits and job losses.

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Pentagon responds to criticism over civilian deaths in Mosul blast

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Thursday said it would soon release a video showing Islamic State militants herding civilians into a building in the Iraqi city of Mosul and then firing from it, the U.S. military's latest response to an outcry over a separate explosion thought to have killed scores of civilians.

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Israeli cabinet approves first West Bank settlement in 20 years

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's security cabinet approved on Thursday the building of the first new settlement in the occupied West Bank in two decades, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu negotiates with Washington on possible curbs on settlement activity.

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South Korea court approves warrant to arrest ousted president Park Geun-hye

SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean court on Friday approved a warrant to arrest ousted president Park Geun-hye, the country's first democratically elected leader to be thrown out of office, on accusations of bribery and abuse of power.

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Warplanes strike near Syria's Hama as army counter-attacks

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Warplanes pounded rebel-held areas north of the Syrian city of Hama on Thursday in an escalation of air strikes, a rebel official and a monitor said, as government forces fought to reverse the insurgents' biggest assault in months.

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Malaysia releases victim of bizarre murder in deal ending spat with North Korea

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Thursday that the body of Kim Jong Nam, half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has been released to North Korea, bringing an end to a diplomatic spat that escalated over nearly seven weeks.

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Exclusive: South Africa's Zuma considers stepping down early in deal to oust Gordhan

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Jacob Zuma is considering offering to step down next year, at least 12 months before his term as South African president ends, under a deal with opponents in his ruling party that would see Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan leave office now, two senior party sources said.

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China says 'no such thing' as man-made islands in South China Sea

BEIJING (Reuters) - There was "no such thing" as man-made islands in the disputed South China Sea, China's Defence Ministry said on Thursday, and reiterated that any building work was mainly for civilian purposes.

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Tillerson seeks to keep focus on Islamic State in delicate Turkey visit

ANKARA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Turkey on Thursday for talks with a NATO ally crucial to the fight against Islamic State but increasingly at odds with Washington and its European partners.

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Britain not threatening Europe over security cooperation-Davis

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain was in not seeking to threaten Europe when it said cooperation in fighting terrorism would be weakened if it left the European Union without a comprehensive deal, Brexit minister David Davis said on Thursday.

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Britain does not expect 50 billion pound Brexit bill: Davis

LONDON (Reuters) - Brexit minister David Davis said he did not expect Britain to have to pay 50 billion pounds ($62 billion) to the European Union as part of the Brexit process and said the era of huge sums being paid to Brussels was coming to an end.

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Exclusive: More than 100 die in Malaysian immigration detention camps in two years

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - More than one hundred foreigners died in the past two years in Malaysia's immigration detention centers from various diseases and unknown causes, according to documents from the government–funded National Human Rights Commission reviewed by Reuters.

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Suicide truck bomb kills at least 17 in south Baghdad: police sources

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A suicide truck bomb blew up at a checkpoint in the south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people and wounding more than 60, police sources said.

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Inside Mosul, a huge blast, then screams, dust and horror

MOSUL, Iraq/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Crouching in his Mosul home, Abu Ayman suddenly felt the ground rock as if struck by an earthquake when a massive explosion tore through his street, filling the room with dust and shattered glass. Then came the screams and cries from next door.

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U.S. military says difficult to avoid Mosul casualties, probes blast

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior U.S. general said on Wednesday it will be difficult to maintain "extraordinarily high standards" to avoid civilian casualties in Mosul, even as the U.S. military begins a formal investigation into an explosion in the Iraqi city that is believed to have killed scores of civilians.

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Some 146 migrants feared dead after shipwreck, sole survivor says

ROME (Reuters) - A rubber boat packed with 147 migrants sank in the Mediterranean and all but one of its passengers drowned, the sole survivor - a 16-year-old Gambian boy - told rescuers, the International Migration Organization (IOM) said on Wednesday.

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U.N. rights experts call on Russia to release protesters

GENEVA (Reuters) - United Nations human rights experts called on Russia on Wednesday to release peaceful protesters arrested across the country at the weekend and to annul any sentences already handed down.

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Engineers repair Syria's Tabqa dam spillways after shelling

TABQA DAM, Syria (Reuters) - Spillways at the Tabqa Dam in Syria are working normally after engineers managed to carry out repairs, a local alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias said on Wednesday, despite shelling by Islamic State that temporarily halted their work.

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U.S. envoy to U.N.: Syria's Assad 'hindrance to moving forward'

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said on Wednesday that Syria's President Bashar al-Assad is a "big hindrance in trying to move forward" to find an end to the country's six-year conflict.

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Iraqi forces battle toward landmark Mosul mosque

MOSUL (Reuters) - Iraqi special forces and police fought Islamic State militants to edge closer to the al-Nuri mosque in western Mosul on Wednesday, tightening their control around the landmark site in the battle to recapture Iraq's second city, military commanders said.

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Exclusive: Malaysia inspects North Korean coal ship for possible U.N. sanctions breach

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia briefly prevented a North Korean ship carrying coal from entering its port in Penang because of a suspected breach of United Nations sanctions, a port worker and Malaysian maritime officials told Reuters on Wednesday

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Syria deal to evacuate Shi'ites and Sunnis from towns: source, Observatory

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Shi'ite populations of two pro-Syrian government towns are to be evacuated in exchange for the evacuation of Sunni rebels and their families from two opposition-held towns in a mediated deal between the warring sides, a pro-government source and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

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U.S. sees probable role in Mosul blast, probe under way

MOSUL, Iraq/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The senior U.S. commander in Iraq acknowledged on Tuesday that the U.S.-led coalition probably had a role in an explosion in Mosul believed to have killed scores of civilians but said Islamic State could also be to blame.

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French ex-PM Valls says will vote for Macron in election

PARIS (Reuters) - French former Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Wednesday he would vote for centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron rather than the Socialist contender in France's presidential election.

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Exclusive: Afghans plan to double special forces from 17,000 as threats grow - sources

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan plans to double the number of elite special forces from 17,000 troops, officials said, part of a long-term strategy to bolster units stretched and exhausted by persistent attacks from Taliban insurgents and other Islamist militants.

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If arrested, South Korea's Park will be in larger cell than others, but lights out at 9

SEOUL (Reuters) - If ousted South Korean president Park Geun-hye is arrested this week, she will be sent to a solitary cell where she will be expected to rise at 6:30 a.m. and go to bed by 9 p.m.

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British PM May to fire starting gun on Brexit

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May will file formal Brexit divorce papers on Wednesday, pitching the United Kingdom into the unknown and triggering years of uncertain negotiations that will test the endurance of the European Union.

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Tillerson to press NATO on defense spending: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will press this week for NATO allies to demonstrate a "clear path" to increase defense spending, a State Department official said on Tuesday.

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North Korea could be in final stages of nuclear test preparations: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Satellite imagery of North Korea's main nuclear test site taken over the weekend indicates that Pyongyang could be in the final stages of preparations for a sixth nuclear test, a U.S. think tank reported on Tuesday.

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Arab leaders seek common ground at summit on Palestinian state

Dead Sea, JORDAN (Reuters) - Divided Arab leaders arriving in Jordan for a summit on Wednesday are seeking common ground to reaffirm their commitment to a Palestinian state, a longstanding goal that U.S. President Donald Trump last month put into doubt.

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Iran's Rouhani says Syrian peace talks to continue in Kazakhstan

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that Syrian peace talks sponsored by Tehran, Russia and Turkey would continue in Kazakhstan without specifying a date for the next round of negotiations.

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Austria says wants exemption from EU migrant relocation system

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria will seek an exemption from having to accept more asylum-seekers under an EU relocation system, it said on Tuesday, arguing that it has already taken in its fair share during Europe's migration crisis.

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Riots in Paris after Chinese man shot dead

PARIS/BEIJING (Reuters) - French police said on Tuesday they opened an inquiry after a Chinese man was shot dead by police at his Paris home, triggering riots in the French capital by members of the Chinese community and a diplomatic protest by Beijing.

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China army drills on Myanmar border amid tensions

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's military carried out drills along the border with Myanmar on Tuesday, in a show of force to highlight its resolve to protect its people, state news agency Xinhua said, following clashes between Myanmar security forces and ethnic rebels.

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After civilians killed in Mosul, Pentagon denies loosening rules

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon, facing accusations that a coalition air strike may have killed scores of civilians in the Iraqi city of Mosul, said on Monday it was not loosening its rules of engagement in the fight against Islamic State but that resources to investigate claims were limited.

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Thousands take shelter as Cyclone Debbie lashes Australian coastal resorts

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Coastal areas in northeast Australia were battered by high winds and heavy rainfall on Tuesday as a powerful cyclone, which prompted authorities to urge some 30,000 people to evacuate, hit island resorts along the world-famous Great Barrier Reef.

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North Korea tests rocket engine: U.S. officials

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea has carried out another test of a rocket engine that U.S. officials believe could be part of its program to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile, officials told Reuters on Monday.

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London attacker interested in jihad but no evidence of IS link: police

LONDON (Reuters) - British police said on Monday they had found no evidence that Khalid Masood, who killed four people in an attack on parliament last week, had any association with Islamic State or al Qaeda, but he was clearly interested in jihad.

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U.S., Britain, France, others skip nuclear weapons ban treaty talks

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States, Britain and France are among almost 40 countries that will not join talks on a nuclear weapons ban treaty starting at the United Nations on Monday, said U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

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Israel urges citizens to leave Egypt's Sinai, citing IS threat

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel on Monday urged citizens vacationing in Egypt's Sinai peninsula to leave immediately, saying the threat of attacks inspired by Islamic State and other jihadi groups was high.

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U.S.-backed Syrian militias say pause operations near Tabqa dam

BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S.-backed Syrian militias said they temporarily halted military operations near the hydroelectric Tabqa Dam on the Euphrates river on Monday to allow government engineers access to carry out work.

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Syrian rebels resume withdrawal from last Homs bastion: monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hundreds of rebels left their last bastion in Syria's Homs city on Monday, resuming an evacuation expected to be among the largest of its kind under a Russian-backed deal with the government, state media and a monitor said.

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South Korea prosecutors seek detention warrant for ousted president Park

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean prosecutors said on Monday they will seek a detention warrant for ousted President Park Geun-hye, who has been accused of taking bribes from big businesses.

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U.S.-backed forces say taken control of Tabqa military airport from Islamic State

AMMAN (Reuters) - U.S.-backed local forces fighting Islamic State in Syria said on Sunday they had taken full control of a former Syrian army airport near the city of Tabqa along the Euphrates River.

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UK police make another arrest in parliamentary attack investigation

LONDON (Reuters) - Police have arrested a 30-year-old man in the central English city of Birmingham in connection with last week's attack on parliament, "on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts", the Metropolitan Police said on Sunday.

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Merkel's conservatives come first in German Saarland state vote

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives strengthened their position as the largest party in an election in the small state of Saarland on Sunday, in a boost to her quest to win a fourth term in Germany's Sept. 24 national election, exit polls showed.

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Erdogan setting back integration in Germany by years: Schaeuble

BERLIN (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who has accused Chancellor Angela Merkel of "applying Nazi methods" against Turks in Germany, is setting back integration in Germany by years, veteran Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said.

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Britain reviewing security at parliament after deadly attack

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will review security at parliament, ministers said on Sunday, responding to criticism that a gate for vehicles was left open for a time during a deadly attack on Wednesday.

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U.S.-backed Syrian militia makes gains against Islamic State

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Kurdish and Arab Syrian militia backed by the United States has captured the town of Karama as it prepares for an assault on the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa that it expects to take place in early April, it said on Sunday.

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Iran denies harassing U.S. warships in Gulf, warns of clashes

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran denied on Saturday U.S. accusations that its fast-attack boats were "harassing" warships at the mouth of the Gulf, and said Washington would be responsible for any clashes in the key oil shipping route.

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Iran sanctions 15 U.S. firms, citing human rights and Israel ties

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran has imposed sanctions on 15 U.S. companies for alleged human rights violations and cooperating with Israel, the state news agency IRNA reported on Sunday.

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Iraqi military says 61 bodies pulled from collapsed Mosul site

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi's military said on Sunday 61 bodies had been recovered from a collapsed building that was boobytrapped by Islamic State in Western Mosul, but there was no sign it had been hit by a coalition strike though a large vehicle bomb was discovered nearby.

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Hong Kong chooses new Beijing-backed leader amid political tension

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A Beijing-backed civil servant, Carrie Lam, was chosen to be Hong Kong's next leader on Sunday amid accusations that Beijing is meddling and denying the financial hub a more populist leader perhaps better able to defuse political tension.

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U.S. strike kills an al Qaeda 'leader' in Afghanistan: Pentagon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Saturday a U.S. strike in Afghanistan this week killed an al Qaeda militant who was responsible for the death of two American service members and accused of involvement in a deadly attack on a bus carrying Sri Lanka's cricket team in 2009.

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French centre-right senators back Macron's presidential bid

PARIS (Reuters) - The frontrunner in France's presidential election, Emmanuel Macron, received yet another boost to his candidacy on Sunday when nine lawmakers from a center-right party allied with conservative rival Francois Fillon decided to rally behind him.

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U.S. confirms air strike in Mosul district where dozens were killed

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - The U.S military confirmed on Saturday that U.S. warplanes had hit an Islamic State-held area of the besieged Iraqi city of Mosul where residents and officials say dozens of civilians have been killed as result of an air strike.

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France's Macron ahead in polls, Fillon faces angry protesters

CAMBO-LES-BAINS/SAINT-DENIS-DE-LA-REUNION, France (Reuters) - Francois Fillon's aides used an umbrella to shield him from eggs thrown by protesters in south-west France on Saturday as the beleaguered conservative fell further behind centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-rightist Marine Le Pen in opinion polls.

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U.S. military investigating alleged civilian casualties in Mosul strike

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military acknowledged on Saturday that U.S. aircraft struck at the request of Iraqi security forces a location in West Mosul where dozens of civilian casualties allegedly occurred.

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EU leaders seek unity in Rome, despite Brexit and protests

ROME (Reuters) - Leaders of the European Union met in Rome on Saturday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the bloc's founding treaty and demonstrate that the EU can survive the impending departure of major power Britain.

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Middle-aged London attacker was criminal who wasn't seen as threat

BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) - Before he killed four people in Britain's deadliest attack since the 2005 London bombings, Khalid Masood was considered by intelligence officers to be a criminal who posed little serious threat.

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Air strike kills 16 in Syrian prison - Observatory

BEIRUT (Reuters) - At least 16 people died after a Friday night air strike on a prison in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province including both prisoners and staff, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said on Saturday.

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Link seen between Russia and Libyan commander Haftar: U.S. general

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of U.S. forces in Africa told reporters on Friday there was an "undeniable" link between Russia and powerful Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, underscoring U.S. concerns about Moscow's deepening role in Libya.

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Iraqi forces to deploy new tactics in Mosul, civilians flee city

MOSUL/ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces are to deploy new tactics in a fresh push against Islamic State in Mosul, military officials said on Friday, after advances slowed in the campaign to drive the militants out of their last stronghold in the country.

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Syrian SDF forces reach Tabqa dam: Raqqa campaign spokeswoman

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have reached the entrance to the Tabqa dam where they are clashing with Islamic State, Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, the SDF's spokeswoman for the campaign to drive the jihadist group from Raqqa, said on Friday.

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Russians bombing Syrian rebels near Hama, Syrian military source says

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russian warplanes are taking part in air strikes against insurgents to help repel a major attack on Syrian government-held areas near the city of Hama, a Syrian military source said on Friday.

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Egypt's former leader Mubarak freed, six years after overthrow: lawyer

CAIRO (Reuters) - Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president overthrown in 2011 and the first leader to face trial after the Arab Spring uprisings that swept the region, was freed on Friday after six years in detention, his lawyer said.

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Police arrest two more over British parliament attack

LONDON (Reuters) - British police said they had made two further significant arrests in the investigation into the attack on London's parliament and gave the birth name of the man behind the assault as Adrian Russell Ajao.

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North Korea maintains readiness for nuclear test at any time: South Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has maintained readiness to conduct a new nuclear test at any time, a South Korean military official said on Friday, amid a report of a possible test within days as Pyongyang defies international pressure.

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U.S. Senate to vote on Montenegro's NATO membership

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate will vote next week on the ratification of Montenegro as the newest member of the NATO alliance, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday, after the Trump administration urged lawmakers to take up the long-delayed matter.

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China is not militarizing South China Sea, Premier Li says

SYDNEY (Reuters) - China is not militarizing the South China Sea, Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday, although he acknowledged that defense equipment on islands in the disputed waterway had been placed there to maintain "freedom of navigation".

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U.S.-Israeli teen arrested in Israel for Jewish center bomb threats

JERUSALEM/NEW YORK (Reuters) - A teenager with dual Israeli-U.S. citizenship was arrested in Israel on Thursday on suspicion of making dozens of hoax bomb threats against Jewish community centers in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

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Russia may be helping supply Taliban insurgents: U.S. general

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. general in Europe said on Thursday that he had seen Russian influence on Afghan Taliban insurgents growing and raised the possibility that Moscow was helping supply the militants, whose reach is expanding in southern Afghanistan.

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France's Hollande says French suspect likely involved in attempted Antwerp attack

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Francois Hollande said on Thursday that a French national appeared to have been involved in a suspected, attempted attack in the Belgium city of Antwerp.

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Exiled former Russian lawmaker shot dead in Kiev: police

KIEV (Reuters) - A former Russian lawmaker and key witness in a treason case against Ukraine's ousted leader Viktor Yanukovich was shot dead in broad daylight outside a hotel in central Kiev on Thursday, police said.

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Belgium arrests man trying to drive down shopping street at high speed

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Police in the northern Belgian city of Antwerp said on Thursday they had detained a man who tried to enter the main pedestrianized shopping street in a car at high speed, adding security in the city would be stepped up.

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China says U.S. should respect China's air defense zone

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Thursday the United States should respect its air defense identification zone (ADIZ), after CNN reported China had warned a U.S. bomber it was illegally flying inside China's self-declared zone in the East China Sea.

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Fierce clashes persist in Syria ahead of renewed peace talks

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army and rebels, including jihadist groups, fought in the capital Damascus and north of Hama on Thursday after the insurgents' biggest offensive for months, underscoring the bleak prospects for peace talks which resume later in the day.

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Sunken South Korean ferry slowly emerges three years after disaster

SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean ferry that sank nearly three years ago, killing 304 people, most of them children on a school trip, slowly emerged from a gray sea on Thursday, a somber reminder of a tragedy that traumatized the country.

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Russia's foreign minister says ready to discuss reducing nuclear arms

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday Russia was willing to discuss reducing nuclear weapons, news agency RIA reported.

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Tillerson pledges safe areas for refugees, more pressure on Islamic State

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States would set up "interim zones of stability" to help refugees return home in the next phase of the fight against Islamic State and al Qaeda in Syria and Iraq.

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U.S.-led coalition air-drops forces in Raqqa province

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition have air-dropped ground forces near the Islamic State-held town of Tabqa in northern Syria, opening a new front in the campaign to capture the jihadist group's nearby stronghold of Raqqa city.

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Four dead including police officer and assailant in London attack: police

LONDON (Reuters) - Four people, including the attacker and a police officer, died in Wednesday's terrorism incident at the British parliament, police said.

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Erdogan warns Europeans 'will not walk safely' if current attitude persists

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Europeans across the world would not be able to walk safely on the streets if they kept up their current attitude.

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Air strike kills more than 30 near Raqqa, Syrian Observatory says

BEIRUT (Reuters) - At least 33 people were killed in an air strike that hit a school sheltering displaced people near the Islamic State-held city of Raqqa, a group that monitors the war in Syria said on Wednesday.

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Russia underplayed losses in recapture of Syria's Palmyra

GELENDZHIK, Russia (Reuters) - Russia's force in Syria has suffered losses since late January more than three times higher than the official toll, according to evidence gathered by Reuters, a tally that shows the fight in Syria is tougher and more costly than the Kremlin has disclosed.

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Blasts kill four, injure 18 in northeastern Nigeria, police say

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Multiple blasts killed four people and injured eight others in the northeastern Nigeria city of Maiduguri, the state police commissioner said on Wednesday.

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North Korea may have launched more missiles: Kyodo

TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea may have launched several missiles on Wednesday morning, Kyodo News reported, citing a Japanese government source.

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U.S. reverses course and offers new dates for NATO talks

WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson proposed new dates on Tuesday for a NATO meeting, the State Department said, after he initially decided to skip the talks and rebuffed the alliance's efforts to reschedule them.

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Exclusive: North Korea has no fear of U.S. sanctions move, will pursue nuclear arms - envoy

GENEVA (Reuters) - North Korea has nothing to fear from any U.S. move to broaden sanctions aimed at cutting it off from the global financial system and will pursue "acceleration" of its nuclear and missile programs, a Pyongyang envoy told Reuters on Tuesday.

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U.S. restricts electronics from 10 airports, mainly in Middle East

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Tuesday imposed restrictions on carry-on electronic devices on planes coming to the United States from 10 airports in Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and North Africa in response to unspecified terrorism threats.

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Syrian rebels launch second Damascus attack in three days

AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels stormed a government-held area in northeastern Damascus on Tuesday for the second time in three days, sources on both sides said, pressing the boldest assault on the capital by opposition fighters in several years.

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IRA street fighter turned statesman, Martin McGuinness dies aged 66

BELFAST (Reuters) - Martin McGuinness, the former Irish Republican Army commander who laid down his arms and turned peacemaker to help end Northern Ireland's 30-year conflict, died on Tuesday after a decade as deputy first minister of the British province.

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Iraq's Abadi says he wins Trump's assurances of more U.S. support

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said he won assurances of greater U.S. support in fighting Islamic State militants in talks on Monday with President Donald Trump and top advisers, but cautioned that military might alone would not be sufficient.

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Exclusive: Tillerson plans to skip NATO meeting, visit Russia in April - sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to skip an April 5-6 meeting of NATO foreign ministers for a U.S. visit by the Chinese president and will travel to Russia later in the month, U.S. officials said on Monday, a step allies may see as putting Moscow's concerns ahead of theirs.

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As Iraqi forces fight to take Mosul, car bomb in Baghdad kills 23 people

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State militants captured an Iraqi police colonel and eight other officers on Monday after they ran out of ammunition during a skirmish in the battle for western Mosul, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said.

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Exclusive: Trump administration weighing broad sanctions on North Korea - U.S. official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration is considering sweeping sanctions aimed at cutting North Korea off from the global financial system as part of a broad review of measures to counter Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threat, a senior U.S. official said on Monday.

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New U.S.-led force to deter Russia in Poland from April

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A U.S.-led battalion of more than 1,100 soldiers will be deployed in Poland from the start of April, a U.S. commander said on Monday, as the alliance sets up a new force in response to Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

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Exclusive: Syrian Kurdish YPG aims to expand force to over 100,000

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian Kurdish YPG militia aims to expand its force by about two-thirds to more than 100,000 fighters this year, it told Reuters, a plan that would strengthen autonomous Kurdish enclaves that are of deep concern to neighboring Turkey.

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Britain's May to launch EU divorce proceedings on March 29

LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May will trigger Britain's divorce proceedings with the European Union on March 29, launching two years of negotiations that will reshape the future of the country and Europe.

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Russia strikes deal with Syrian Kurds to set up base: Syrian Kurdish militia

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russia is setting up a military base in northwestern Syria in an agreement with the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia that controls the area and will be training YPG fighters as part of the fight against terrorism, the militia's spokesman said on Monday.

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French financial prosecutor's office evacuated

PARIS (Reuters) - The French financial prosecutor's offices in central Paris were evacuated on Monday due to a bomb alert with police deployed to search for explosives, a judicial source and a Reuters journalist at the scene said.

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Exclusive: Almost half of Canadians want illegal border crossers deported - Reuters poll

WINNIPEG, Manitoba/OTTAWA (Reuters) - Nearly half of Canadians want to deport people who are illegally crossing into Canada from the United States, and a similar number disapprove of how Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is handling the influx, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Monday.

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Syrian army and rebels fight fiercely in northeast Damascus

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Intense clashes took place in Damascus early on Monday as the army counter-attacked rebels who had advanced in the northeast of the Syrian capital on Sunday, a war monitor said.

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Russia says Syrian government officials will attend Geneva peace talks

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Syrian government representatives will attend upcoming peace talks in Geneva, Russia's state RIA news agency reported on Monday, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.

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U.S. officials meet asylum seekers at Australian-run camp, possibly restarting 'dumb deal'

CANBERRA/PERTH (Reuters) - U.S. officials began taking fingerprints of asylum seekers in an Australian-run camp on the Pacific island of Nauru on Monday, signaling that vetting of applicants for resettlement in what U.S. President Donald Trump called a "dumb deal" has restarted.

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North Korea rocket-engine test shows 'meaningful' progress: South Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's latest rocket-engine test showed "meaningful" progress, South Korea said on Monday, while an analyst said it was a dangerous step toward the North's goal of developing a rocket that could hit the United States.

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Tillerson meets China's Xi, says Trump hopes to meet 'soon': State Dept.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met President Xi Jinping of China for 30 minutes on Sunday in Beijing and told him that U.S. President Donald Trump anticipates a meeting "soon," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.

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Rebels attack Syrian government forces east of Damascus: monitor and rebels

BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian government forces battled rebels on the fringes of Damascus on Sunday, after the rebels attacked from a residential district towards a main square that is a gateway to the heart of the Old City, rebels and a monitor said.

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Germany rejects Trump's claim it owes NATO and U.S. 'vast sums' for defense

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that Germany owes NATO and the United States "vast sums" of money for defense.

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Philippines' Duterte welcomes prospect of ICC case, says 'brutal' war on drugs to go on

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday welcomed the prospect of the International Criminal Court (ICC) putting him on trial over his bloody war on drugs, saying he would not be intimidated and his campaign would be unrelenting and "brutal".

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Iraqi forces close in on Mosul mosque as residents flee

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi army helicopters strafed and fired rockets at Islamic State positions in Mosul's Old City on Sunday as troops on the ground closed in on the strategic and symbolic prize of the al-Nuri Mosque.

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North Korea's Kim Jong Un says engine test is 'new birth' of rocket industry

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has conducted a test of a new high-thrust engine at its Tongchang-ri rocket launch station and leader Kim Jong Un said the successful test was "a new birth" of its rocket industry, the reclusive North's official media said on Sunday.

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Malaysia expects more arrests in Kim Jong Nam murder probe: report

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian police are expected to make a few more arrests, including an "important person", in connection with the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported on Sunday.

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As Mosul battle escalates, civilians caught in crossfire

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Shihab Ayed and several other men struggled to push a cart carrying the bodies of his son and wife, wrapped in blankets, through a muddy ditch nearly two miles (3 km) from their destroyed home in Mosul.

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Tillerson says Trump looks forward to enhancing understanding with China

BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday that President Donald Trump looks forward to enhancing understanding with China and the opportunity for a visit in the future.

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No free trade endorsement likely in G20 communique: G20 officials

BADEN BADEN, Germany (Reuters) - The world's financial leaders are unlikely to endorse free trade and reject protectionism in their communique on Saturday because they have been unable to find a wording that would suit a more protectionist United States, G20 officials said.

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Former U.S. officials say 'complex' relationship with China needs 'fresh start'

BEIJING (Reuters) - Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on Saturday said that the Sino-American relationship had grown "increasingly difficult and complex" and required "a fresh start".

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Man shot dead after seizing soldier's gun at Paris Orly airport

PARIS (Reuters) - Security forces shot dead a man who seized a soldier's gun at Paris Orly airport on Saturday and a police officer was shot and injured in a separate incident north of the French capital, the French Interior Ministry said.

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Tillerson to face Chinese ire over blame for North Korea tensions

BEIJING (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in China on Saturday for what is likely to be a prickly visit, with Beijing angry at being told to rein in nuclear-armed North Korea and Washington repeatedly demanding it do more to control Pyongyang.

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Syrian rebels, families begin leaving Homs district in deal with government

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Rebel fighters and their families began leaving their last bastion in the Syrian city of Homs on Saturday, state media and a Reuters witness said, under an evacuation deal with the government that is expected to be the largest of its kind.

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Iran challenges need to ship out excess material under nuclear deal

VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has challenged the need for it to ship sensitive material abroad if its stock exceeds a limit set by its nuclear deal with major powers.

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Israel intercepts missile fired at its air force in Syria

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli military said it shot down one of numerous anti-aircraft missiles launched on Friday at its air force which was operating in Syria, in a rare such incident that spilled over into neighboring countries.

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Exclusive: Syrian Kurdish YPG says Raqqa attack to start in early April

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The head of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said a U.S.-backed assault to drive Islamic State from its de-facto capital Raqqa would begin at the start of April and the YPG would be taking part, despite fierce opposition from neighboring Turkey.

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Missing from Trump's grand Navy plan: skilled workers to build the fleet

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants to build dozens of new warships in one of the biggest peace-time expansions of the U.S. Navy. But interviews with ship-builders, unions and a review of public and internal documents show major obstacles to that plan.

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British intelligence agency dismisses claims it helped spy on Trump

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's GCHQ intelligence agency dismissed claims made on a U.S. television station that it helped former President Barack Obama eavesdrop on Donald Trump after last year's U.S. presidential election.

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U.S. policy of 'strategic patience' with North Korea over: Tillerson

SEOUL (Reuters) - A U.S. policy of strategic patience with North Korea has ended, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in South Korea on Friday, adding that military action would be "on the table" if North Korea elevated the threat level.

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Sirens blare as Japan, fearing North Korea, holds first missile drill

OGA, Japan (Reuters) - Sirens blared and loudspeakers broadcast warnings in Japan's first civilian missile evacuation drill on Friday, conducted in a fishing town by officials wary about the threat of North Korean missiles.

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Trump, Germany's Merkel to hold first face-to-face meeting at White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump welcomes German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday for a White House meeting that could help determine the future of the transatlantic alliance and shape the working relationship between two of the world's most powerful leaders.

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Iraqi forces besiege Islamic State around Mosul Old City

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi government forces besieged Islamic State militants around Mosul's Old City on Thursday, edging closer to the historic mosque from where the group's leader declared a caliphate nearly three years ago.

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Exclusive: Children among hundreds of Rohingya detained in Myanmar crackdown

SITTWE, Myanmar/COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) - Children as young as 10 years old are among hundreds of Rohingya Muslims detained on charges of consorting with insurgents, according to a police document seen by Reuters that sheds new light on Myanmar's security campaign in the country's northwest.

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Merkel says does not intend to trade provocations with Turkey

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel ruled out trading provocations with Turkey on Thursday after President Tayyip Erdogan sharply criticized bans on planned rallies by Turkish ministers in Germany and the Netherlands.

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Air strike on mosque near Aleppo in Syria kills 42: monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Warplanes struck a mosque in the rebel-held village of al-Jina, southwest of Atarib near Aleppo in Syria, killing at least 42 people and wounding dozens, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said on Thursday.

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'Now is not the time,' UK's May tells Scotland on independence vote

LONDON/EDINBURGH (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May told the Scottish government on Thursday "now is not the time" for a second independence referendum, saying it would be unfair to ask people to vote without knowing the result of Brexit talks.

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Dutch vote puts question mark over euro zone chief Dijsselbloem

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Jeroen Dijsselbloem may have to stand down as president of the Eurogroup which coordinates policy in the euro zone if he cannot retain his role as Dutch finance minister in a new coalition after his party was routed in Wednesday's election.

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Dutch PM cheers EU leaders by seeing off far-right's Wilders

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - EU leaders lined up on Thursday to congratulate Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on beating far-rightist Geert Wilders in the first of a series of European elections this year in which populist insurgent parties are hoping to rock the establishment.

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Two injured in shooting at French school, one arrest: police source

PARIS (Reuters) - A shooting has taken place at a high school in the small southern French town of Grasse, injuring at least two people, a police source said.

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Queen formally approves law giving UK PM May power to trigger EU exit talks

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth on Thursday formally granted Prime Minister Theresa May the power to trigger exit talks with the European Union, approving legislation which passed through parliament late on Monday.

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Explosion at IMF Paris offices after envelope opened, one person hurt: police

PARIS (Reuters) - A letter exploded when it was opened at the offices in central Paris of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday and one person was slightly injured, police sources said.

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China pledges firm response if Japan interferes in South China Sea

BEIJING (Reuters) - China on Thursday pledged a firm response if Japan stirs up trouble in the South China Sea, after Reuters reported on a Japanese plan to send its largest warship to the disputed waters.

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Malaysia says Interpol issued 'red notice' for four North Koreans

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Interpol has issued a red notice, the closest instrument to an international arrest warrant, on four North Koreans wanted in connection with the murder of Kim Jong Nam, Malaysia's police chief said on Thursday.

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Yahoo cyber indictment shows Kremlin, hackers working hand-in-hand

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Wednesday's indictments in the United States of four people in a 2014 cyber attack on Yahoo Inc provides the clearest details yet on what some U.S. officials say is a symbiotic relationship between Moscow's security services and private Russian hackers.

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U.S. indicts Russian spies, hackers over massive Yahoo hack

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Wednesday unsealed charges against two Russian spies and two criminal hackers for allegedly pilfering 500 million Yahoo user accounts in 2014,

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Dozens killed in double suicide attack in Syrian capital

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two suicide bomb attacks killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens more in Damascus on Wednesday, state media reported, in the second such spate of bombings in the Syrian capital in five days.

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Second bomb attack hits Damascus: state media

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A second bomb attack hit the Syrian capital of Damascus on Wednesday in an area to the west of an earlier suicide attack, state media said.

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Heavy fighting as Iraqi forces set sights on Mosul's Grand Mosque

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Government forces set their sights on reaching the Grand Mosque in Mosul's Old City on Wednesday and the prime minister said the battle to drive Islamic State from its last urban stronghold in Iraq was reaching its final stages.

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Swedish prosecutors not ready to decide on Assange, waiting on translation

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish prosecutors said on Wednesday they would make a decision whether to continue with a preliminary investigation of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange over alleged rape when they have received a full translation of an interview conducted last year.

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High profile Twitter accounts hijacked in Turkish-Dutch protest

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The diplomatic spat between Turkey and the Netherlands spread online on Wednesday when a large number of Twitter accounts, many with no apparent connection to the dispute, were hijacked and replaced with anti-Nazi messages in Turkish.

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Exclusive: Taiwan says Chinese military threat grows, U.S. regional strategy unclear

TAIPEI (Reuters) - China's accelerated military development and recent activity by its military aircraft and ships around Taiwan pose an increased threat to the self-ruled island, according to a Taiwanese government defense report draft reviewed by Reuters.

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Dutch begin voting in election testing anti-establishment mood

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Dutch began voting on Wednesday in an election seen as a test of anti-establishment and anti-immigrant sentiment in the middle of a fiery dispute with Turkey and at a time of doubts about the future of the European Union.

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U.S., South Korea discuss North Korean threat, China warns of risk

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. and South Korean military chiefs warned on Tuesday that North Korea could "conduct provocative actions" in response to large-scale joint drills between the two countries, as China's premier also said tensions could lead to conflict.

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IS Mosul commander killed, government forces battle for bridge

MOSUL, Iraq, (Reuters) - Iraqi government forces killed the Islamic State commander of Mosul's Old City on Tuesday as the battle for the militants' last stronghold in Iraq focused on a bridge crossing the Tigris river.

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Tillerson to press China on North Korea in tough first Asia trip

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson faces a tough first trip to Asia this week when the former oil executive will seek to reassure nervous allies facing North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threat and press China to do more on perhaps the most serious security challenge confronting President Donald Trump.

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China begins new work on disputed South China Sea island

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China has started fresh construction work in the disputed South China Sea, new satellite images show, a sign that Beijing is continuing to strengthen its military reach across the vital trade waterway.

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Trump meets with Saudi deputy crown prince at the White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump met with Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House on Tuesday for a discussion that was likely to touch on investment opportunities in the kingdom and efforts to stop the war in Syria.

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Turkey's Erdogan warns Dutch, minister floats economic sanctions

ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday warned the Netherlands that he could take further steps in a deepening diplomatic row, while a government spokesman in Ankara said economic sanctions could be coming.

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France's scandal-hit Fillon put under formal fraud investigation

PARIS (Reuters) - French presidential candidate Francois Fillon was put under formal investigation by magistrates on Tuesday on suspicion of embezzling state funds - a move that may ruin the right-winger's hopes of winning power in May.

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France's Fillon is placed under formal fraud investigation

PARIS (Reuters) - French presidential candidate Francois Fillon was put under formal investigation on Tuesday over misuse of public funds in the fake jobs scandal involving his wife, the prosecutor's office said.

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May wins right to launch EU divorce talks, question is when?

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May has won the right to launch divorce proceedings with the European Union and begin two years of talks that will shape the future of Britain and Europe.

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Britain's May is committed to engaging with Scotland on Brexit: spokesman

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May is committed to engaging with the Scottish government on Brexit plans, her spokesman said on Tuesday, a day after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called for a new independence referendum.

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Blast hits bus in Syria's Homs: state media

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Militants detonated a bomb on a bus in Wadi al-Dhahb district of the Syrian city of Homs on Tuesday and there were reports of casualties, Syrian state television and news agencies reported on Tuesday.

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South Korean prosecutors to summon ousted president Park

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean prosecutors will summon ousted president Park Geun-hye for questioning as a suspect in a corruption case that led to her impeachment, a prosecution official said on Tuesday, amid a political crisis that has gripped the country for months.

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Turkey says EU exercising democracy selectively, wrong to stand by Netherlands

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's foreign ministry on Tuesday said the European Union was exercising democratic values selectively and that it should not be standing by the Netherlands, which it accused of violating human rights and European values.

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In headscarf ruling, EU court allows religious symbol bans

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - Employers may bar staff from wearing visible religious symbols, the European Union's top court ruled on Tuesday in its first decision on the issue of women wearing Islamic headscarves at work.

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One month on, Malaysia embalms Kim Jong Nam's body, awaiting next of kin

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The body of the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was embalmed this week in Kuala Lumpur, with no family member coming forward to claim the remains and as a diplomatic spat with Pyongyang drags on.

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Exclusive: Russia appears to deploy forces in Egypt, eyes on Libya role - sources

WASHINGTON/CAIRO (Reuters) - Russia appears to have deployed special forces to an airbase in western Egypt near the border with Libya in recent days, U.S., Egyptian and diplomatic sources say, a move that would add to U.S. concerns about Moscow's deepening role in Libya.

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Turkey backed rebels take some towns near Syria's Manbij, Erdogan says

ANKARA (Reuters) - Syrian rebels backed by Turkish forces have taken some towns near northern Syria's Manbij, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday, marking their latest advance against Islamic State militants south of Turkey's border.

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UK PM May's hand moves closer to Brexit trigger

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May is set to clear the final hurdle standing between her and the start of Brexit negotiations on Monday after lawmakers voted to throw out changes to a bill giving her the power to start the EU exit process.

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Exclusive: Japan plans to send largest warship to South China Sea, sources say

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan plans to dispatch its largest warship on a three-month tour through the South China Sea beginning in May, three sources said, in its biggest show of naval force in the region since World War Two.

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Syrian war monitor says 465,000 killed in six years of fighting

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said on Monday there are so far about 465,000 people killed and missing in Syria's civil war.

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Malaysia says talks on with North Korea for return of nine citizens

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia said talks were underway on Monday for the release of nine citizens stranded in North Korea by a travel ban, while its defense minister tried to ease anxieties among the public about the risks of angering an unpredictable nuclear-armed state.

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Scotland demands new independence vote before Brexit: Sturgeon

EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Monday demanded a new independence referendum to be held in late 2018 or early 2019, once the terms of Britain's exit from the European Union have become clearer.

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North Korea boycotts 'politically motivated' U.N. rights session

GENEVA (Reuters) - North Korea boycotted a U.N. review of its human rights record on Monday, shunning calls to hold to account the Pyongyang leadership for crimes against humanity documented by the world body.

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Iraq forces face tough resistance in advance on Mosul's Old City

MOSUL (Reuters) - Iraqi forces battling Islamic State faced tough resistance from snipers and mortar rounds on Monday as they tried to advance on Mosul's Old City and a bridge across the Tigris river in their campaign to retake the western part of the city.

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Syrian army advances in district east of Damascus-monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army and its allies gained control of an arterial road in a small rebel pocket in northeast Damascus early on Monday, bringing them close to splitting the enclave in two, a Britain-based war monitor reported.

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Refugees surge into China as Myanmar ethnic border conflict escalates

NANSAN, China (Reuters) - Within earshot of mortar fire echoing from beyond a ring of hills, a sprawling relief camp in Southwestern China is swelling steadily after fighting erupted last week between a rebel ethnic army in Myanmar and government troops just across the border.

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Russia, Turkey, Iran to press ahead with Syria talks: Kazakhstan

ASTANA (Reuters) - Russia, Turkey and Iran are pressing ahead with a fresh round of Syria talks in Kazakhstan, Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said on Monday, despite a request from Syrian rebels to delay the meeting.

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U.S. VP Pence to tour Asia next month amid security crises

JAKARTA (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will visit Japan and Indonesia next month, sources said on Monday, as part of an Asian tour amid concerns the Trump administration is rolling back Barack Obama's "pivot to Asia".

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China lawmakers add defaming Party heroes to civil code offences

BEIJING (Reuters) - Lawmakers on Sunday introduced amendments to China's nascent civil code to make defaming "heroes and martyrs" of the ruling Communist Party a civil offense, as the leadership moves to strengthen its grasp on the history of the People's Republic.

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China's Xi pushes advanced technology for military

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's military needs to promote technological innovation as the "key" to its upgrading and modernization, President Xi Jinping told military delegates to the annual meeting of parliament.

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Modi's BJP sees bigger India mandate in 2019 after state landslide

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party expects national elections in 2019 to deliver an even bigger mandate than in 2014, its leaders said on Sunday, buoyed by a thumping victory in the country's most politically important state.

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At least 34 killed in bus crash in northern Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - At least 34 people were killed and 17 injured in northern Haiti on Sunday after a bus crashed into a group of people, the country's civil protection authorities said.

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Turkey promises harsh retaliation after Netherlands bars ministers

ANKARA/ROTTERDAM (Reuters) - Turkey told the Netherlands on Sunday that it would retaliate in the "harshest ways" after Turkish ministers were barred from speaking in Rotterdam, as a row over Ankara's political campaigning among Turkish immigrants escalated.

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Iraqi general says 30 percent of west Mosul recaptured from Islamic State

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces have retaken around 30 percent of west Mosul from Islamic State militants, a commander of the elite Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) said on Sunday, as soldiers pushed into more districts.

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Death toll from Damascus bombing climbs to 74: Observatory

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The death toll from a double bomb attack targeting Shi'ites visiting a pilgrimage site in Damascus has climbed to 74, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday.

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Netherlands bars Turkish ministers as rally dispute escalates

ANKARA/ROTTERDAM (Reuters) - Turkey told the Netherlands on Sunday that it would retaliate in the "harshest ways" after Turkish ministers were barred from speaking in Rotterdam in a row over Ankara's political campaigning among Turkish emigres.

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China admits political education for students is poor

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is doing a poor job at political education for university students because the classes are outdated and unfashionable, the education minister said on Sunday in a rare admission of the difficulties faced enforcing a key government policy.

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South Korean opposition vows justice as Park prepares Blue House exit

SEOUL (Reuters) - The South Korean politician likely to emerge as the next president promised justice and common sense on Sunday as workers renovated the home of ousted leader Park Geun-hye to prepare for her departure from the presidential Blue House.

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Islamic State frees Mosul prisoners as grip on last major city slips

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State has released dozens of prisoners held in jails in the districts of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul that remain under its control, residents said on Saturday.

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Gunmen attack military airport in eastern Afghanistan

KHOST, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Gunmen attacked a military air base in the eastern Afghan province of Khost, officials said on Saturday.

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Dutch bar plane carrying Turkish foreign minister from landing

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Saturday barred a plane carrying Turkey's foreign minister from landing, saying his visit would be a threat to public order.

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Assad says yet to see real steps from Trump on Islamic State

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he yet to see "anything concrete" from U.S. President Donald Trump over his vow to defeat Islamic State and called U.S. forces deployed in Syria "invaders" because they were there without government permission.

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Two bombs go off in Damascus, fatalities reported: state media

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two bombs exploded in Damascus on Saturday, and there were initial reports of fatalities, Syrian state news agency SANA reported. The bombs went off near a cemetery in the Bab Masala area of the city.

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German police order Essen shopping mall shut due to attack threat

BERLIN (Reuters) - Police in the western German city of Essen have ordered a shopping center in the center of town to remain closed on Saturday due to "concrete indications about a possible attack".

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Saudi-led coalition air strike kills 22 in Yemen: official

HODEIDAH (Reuters) - At least 22 civilians were killed on Friday and dozens wounded when a Saudi-led coalition air strike hit a market in western Yemen causing a fire to break out, a local official said.

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Iraq says 'no evidence' of chemical weapons attacks in Mosul

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iraqi U.N. Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim said on Friday there was "no evidence" that Islamic State had used chemical weapons in Mosul, where the militants are fighting off an offensive by U.S.-backed Iraqi forces.

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Exclusive: Russian private security firm says it had armed men in east Libya

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A force of several dozen armed private security contractors from Russia operated until last month in a part of Libya that is under the control of regional leader Khalifa Haftar, the head of the firm that hired the contractors told Reuters.

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Turkey seeks to build Syrian military cooperation with Russia

MOSCOW/ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan sought to build cooperation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Friday over military operations in Syria, as Turkey attempts to create a border "safe zone" free of Islamic State and the Kurdish YPG militia.

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Russia cautiously optimistic on Syria peace deal - Putin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is cautiously optimistic on the chances for a peace deal in Syria, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, after talks with Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan in Moscow.

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Syrian force says it has enough fighters to take Raqqa from Islamic State

BEIRUT/MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S.-backed Syrian militias said on Friday they were strong enough to seize Raqqa from Islamic State with support from the U.S.-led coalition, underlining their opposition to any Turkish role in the planned attack.

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EU ready to respond to Britain's exit note 'within 48 hours': Tusk

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union institutions will be ready to respond within 48 hours to Britain's notification that it plans to leave the 28-nation bloc, the chairman of EU leaders, Donald Tusk, said on Friday.

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Thai police end search of temple without finding monk

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai police ended their search of Thailand's biggest temple on Friday after laying siege to it for more than three weeks without finding the former abbot, who is wanted for suspected money-laundering.

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U.S.-backed SDF says has enough forces to take Syrian city of Raqqa

BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S.-backed Syrian militias have enough forces to capture the city of Raqqa from Islamic State with support from the U.S.-led coalition, a spokeswoman for the Syrian militias said on Friday, underlining their opposition to any Turkish role in the attack.

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Malaysia PM Najib calls for unity amid North Korea row

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called for unity on Friday as he tried to bring home nine Malaysians stuck in North Korea amid a growing row over the murder of Kim Jong Nam, while warning Pyongyang not to abuse Malaysia's "hospitality".

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Islamic State mortars, snipers take toll on Iraqi forces in Mosul

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - At a field clinic near the front line in Mosul, an Iraqi Federal Police officer lay in discomfort on a stretcher, a drip in his arm and bandage plastered over his chest from where shrapnel from a mortar shell had pierced his sternum.

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Syrian force a 'few weeks' from Raqqa, U.S. Marines deploy

BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S.-backed Syrian forces said on Thursday they were closing in on Islamic State-held Raqqa and expected to reach the city outskirts in a few weeks, as a U.S. Marines artillery unit deployed to help the campaign.

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WikiLeaks offers CIA hacking tools to tech companies: Assange

WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Wikileaks will provide technology companies with exclusive access to CIA hacking tools that it possesses so they can patch software flaws, founder Julian Assange said on Thursday, presenting Silicon Valley with a potential dilemma on how to deal with the anti-secrecy group.

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Iran's presence in Syrian blocks peace deal, Netanyahu tells Putin

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday there could never be peace in Syria as long as there was an Iranian presence there.

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U.N. urged to prepare North Korea case for alleged crimes against humanity

GENEVA (Reuters) - A veteran investigator urged the United Nations on Thursday to appoint an international legal expert to prepare judicial proceedings against North Korea's leadership for documented crimes against humanity.

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EU snubs Poland by keeping Tusk in top post

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The leaders of the European Union delivered a withering snub to Poland's right-wing government on Thursday by steamrollering its objections and reappointing former Polish premier Donald Tusk to chair their summits.

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Iran successfully test fires a naval missile, Tasnim reports

ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps has successfully test-fired a naval missile, the semi-official news agency Tasnim said on Thursday, a move likely to heighten concern in Washington, whose warship operate in the waters near Iran.

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Iraq aims to drive Islamic State from west Mosul within a month

SULAIMANIYA/MOSUL (Reuters) - Iraqi forces aim to dislodge Islamic State militants from west Mosul within a month, despite grueling urban combat in densely populated terrain, the head of the elite Counter Terrorism Service told Reuters on Thursday.

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Macron consolidates lead over Le Pen in French election polls

PARIS (Reuters) - Centrist Emmanuel Macron saw his position as favorite to win France's presidential election boosted on Thursday in two polls, with one showing him ahead of far-right leader Marine Le Pen in the first round of the two-stage contest.

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Special Report : Aircraft carriers, championed by Trump, are vulnerable to attack

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Last week, President Donald J. Trump chose the deck of the newest U.S. aircraft carrier, the $13 billion USS Gerald R. Ford, for a speech extolling his planned boost in military spending.

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Two Malaysians leave North Korea, talks on to lift travel ban

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - North Korea guaranteed the safety of Malaysians banned from leaving the country, Malaysia's prime minister said on Thursday, as two Malaysian U.N. employees left the isolated state in a possible sign that diplomatic tensions had begun to settle.

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China says more than 20,000 from Myanmar seek refuge across border

BEIJING (Reuters) - More than 20,000 people from Myanmar have flooded into border camps in neighboring China, seeking refuge from bitter fighting between ethnic groups and security forces in the country's north, China said on Thursday.

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Air strikes southeast of Syria's Raqqa kill 14: Observatory

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Air strikes killed 14 civilians, including six children, on Thursday in countryside around Raqqa city in northern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

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Two among 11 stranded Malaysians leave North Korea: government source

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Two U.N. employees who were among 11 Malaysian nationals stranded in North Korea following a travel ban have left the country, a Malaysian government source said on Thursday.

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Malaysia warns of long North Korea inquiry, China says no action yet

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Malaysia has warned that an investigation into the murder of the North Korean leader's half brother "may take longer than what we hope," as Pyongyang ally China said on Wednesday that no international action should be considered until it is finished.

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U.S. general says Russia deploys cruise missile, threatens NATO

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia has deployed a land-based cruise missile that violates the "spirit and intent" of an arms control treaty and poses a threat to NATO, Vice Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Paul Selva said on Wednesday.

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Warplanes bomb east of Damascus after truce declared, residents, monitor say

BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Warplanes bombed rebel-held towns east of Damascus on Wednesday, striking residential areas where Russia had declared a ceasefire less than 24 hours earlier and leaving dozens injured, according to residents, rebels and a monitoring group.

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Iraqi forces see off Islamic State attack, seize road out of Mosul

MOSUL/SULAIMANIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces saw off an overnight Islamic State counter-attack near Mosul's main government buildings and took full control on Wednesday of the last major road leading west to the militant-held town of Tal Afar, the military said.

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Iraq to continue striking Islamic State targets in Syria, Abadi says

SULEIMANIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq will continue to hit Islamic State targets in Syria, as well as in neighboring countries if they give their approval, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Wednesday.

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U.S. ship changed course toward Iranians on Saturday: Iran commander

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy ship changed course toward Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a guard commander was quoted as saying on Wednesday while issuing a warning.

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Video emerges of man claiming to be murdered North Korean's son

SEOUL (Reuters) - A man claiming to be the son of the slain, estranged half brother of North Korea's leader said he was lying low with his mother and sister, in a video posted online by a group that said it helped rescue them following the murder a month ago.

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Explosion, gunfire reported at hospital in Afghan capital Kabul

KABUL (Reuters) - An explosion and gunfire were reported near a military hospital in the Afghan capital, Kabul, close to the U.S. embassy, officials said on Wednesday.

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Even with THAAD defense, North Korea missile barrage poses threat to South

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's latest weapons test showed it can accurately fire multiple medium-range ballistic missiles, an attack strategy that experts said could test the advanced U.S. THAAD anti-missile system which began to arrive in South Korea on Tuesday.

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UK's May defeated as lawmakers demand power to reject final Brexit terms

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's upper house of parliament voted on Tuesday to give lawmakers more power to reject the final terms of the country's exit from the European Union, ignoring pleas from Prime Minister Theresa May's government not to hamstring their negotiations.

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North Korea bars Malaysians from leaving, in 'diplomatic meltdown'

KUALA LUMPUR/SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea barred Malaysians from leaving the country on Tuesday, sparking tit-for-tat action by Malaysia, as police investigating the murder of Kim Jong Nam in Kuala Lumpur sought to question three men hiding in the North Korean embassy.

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Eastern European diplomats appeal for U.S. help against Russia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Diplomats from six Eastern European countries appealed to U.S. senators on Tuesday to help them stand up against interference from Russia, including cyber attacks, and insisted that sanctions imposed on Moscow should not be lifted anytime soon.

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U.S. tells China that anti-missile system in South Korea not a threat to China

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has told China that Washington's deployment of the anti-missile defense system THAAD in South Korea is a defensive measure against North Korean threats and does not pose a threat to China, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday.

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Syrian army nears Islamic State-held water station supplying Aleppo

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army has advanced to the outskirts of an Islamic State-held village in northern Syria where a pumping facility provides water for Aleppo, a monitor said on Tuesday.

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North Korea leader Kim supervised missile tests: KCNA

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test launches of four missiles by an army unit commissioned with attacking U.S. military bases in Japan, the country's official news agency reported on Tuesday, stepping up threats against Washington as its troops conduct joint military exercises with South Korea.

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Syrian government forces take over positions from U.S.-backed militia in northern Syria: militia spokesman

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian government forces have taken over positions from a U.S.-backed militia in the northern city of Manbij on part of a frontline with Turkish-backed rebel forces, in line with a deal brokered by Russia, the militia's spokesman said on Monday.

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China has the right to 'step in' to Hong Kong election, top official says

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China's third most powerful leader said on Monday that Beijing had the right to "step in" to Hong Kong's leadership contest, according to local politicians who met him, in remarks fuelling fears of meddling from Communist Party leaders.

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U.S. Navy ship changes course after Iran vessel interaction: U.S. official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Multiple fast-attack vessels from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps came close to a U.S. Navy ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, forcing it to change direction, a U.S. official told Reuters on Monday.

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As Netanyahu faces police questioning, rivals look 'post-Bibi'

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Police questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a fourth time on Monday in a corruption investigation that has prompted political rivals to start looking to a "post-Bibi" Israel.

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Trump to leave Iraq off new travel ban order: White House source

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will remove Iraq from a list of countries targeted in a U.S. travel ban when he is expected to sign a new executive order on Monday after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts, a White House source said.

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U.S.-backed Syrian force cuts last main road out of IS stronghold-source, monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S.-backed Syrian militias cut the last main road out of Islamic State-held Raqqa on Monday, severing the highway between the group's de facto capital and its stronghold of Deir al-Zor province, a Kurdish military source and a war monitor said.

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U.S.-backed Iraqi forces capture al-Hurriya bridge in Mosul, spokesman says

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S.-backed Iraqi forces on Monday captured Mosul's al-Hurriya bridge, which leads to the Islamic State-held old city center from the south, a military media officer told Reuters.

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Juppe says no to presidential bid, calls France 'sick'

BORDEAUX/PARIS (Reuters) - Former French prime minister Alain Juppe said on Monday he had decided "once and for all" not to stand in France's presidential election, dashing the hopes of many in his conservative party whose existing, scandal-hit candidate faces defeat.

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Cuba’s Raul Castro blasts Trump’s Mexican wall and trade policy

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban President Raul Castro harshly criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration, trade and other policies on Sunday as Trump reviews a fragile detente with Communist-run Cuba begun by his predecessor Barack Obama.

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South Korea special prosecutor: President Park colluded with friend to receive Samsung bribe

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's President Park Geun-hye colluded with her friend Choi Soon-sil to receive bribes from Samsung Group, which was aimed to cement Samsung Chief Jay Y. Lee's control of the company, a special prosecutor said in a statement on Monday.

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Over 40,000 displaced from Mosul in a week as Iraqi forces near old city

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - More than 40,000 people have been displaced in the last week from the Iraqi city of Mosul, where U.S.-backed forces launched a fresh push towards the Islamic State-held old city center on Sunday and closed in on the main government complex.

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China's Xi says Shanghai should lead in reform, innovation: Xinhua

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Shanghai should lead China's plans to reform and advance innovation, the official Xinhua news agency has reported President Xi Jinping as saying at the annual meeting of parliament.

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North Korea fires unidentified projectile from near missile base: South Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired an unidentified projectile from its Tongchang-ri region, where a missile base is located, South Korea's military said on Monday, a possible retaliation by the reclusive state to joint U.S.-South Korean drills that began last week.

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France's Fillon makes no promises to stay as party fights for electoral survival

PARIS (Reuters) - Embattled French presidential candidate Francois Fillon delivered a defiant speech to thousands of supporters in central Paris on Sunday, but made no pledge to fight on as pressure from his conservative party mounted on him to step aside.

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Netanyahu to meet Putin, says Iran seeks permanent foothold in Syria

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday to voice opposition to what the Israeli leader charged were Iran's attempts to establish a permanent military foothold in Syria.

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Syrian pilot whose plane crashed in Turkey found by rescue team: hospital

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Syrian air force pilot who bailed out as his warplane crashed on Turkish territory has been found by a Turkish rescue team and is being treated at a hospital in the Hatay region, a hospital spokeswoman said on Sunday.

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China to strengthen defenses, no word on budget

BEIJING (Reuters) - China pledged more support to its military on Sunday including strengthening maritime and air defenses amid efforts to safeguard sovereignty, but in a highly unusual move did not give spending figures for 2017 despite promises of transparency.

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Syrian army takes more villages from militants in northwest Syria

AMMAN (Reuters) - The Syrian army has expanded its control over former Islamic State-held villages in northwest Syria, gaining more territory as it pushes back the jihadists from more pockets in Aleppo province, state media said on Saturday.

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Somalia says 110 dead in last 48 hours due to drought

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Some 110 people have died in southern Somalia in the last two days from famine and diarrhea resulting from a drought, the prime minister said on Saturday, as the area braces itself for widespread shortages of food.

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Malaysia expels North Korean envoy after Kim Jong Nam murder

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia said on Saturday it was expelling the North Korean ambassador, escalating a diplomatic row between the two countries over the murder of the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

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Trump administration to propose 'dramatic reductions' in foreign aid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House budget director confirmed Saturday that the Trump administration will propose "fairly dramatic reductions" in the U.S. foreign aid budget later this month.

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Northern Ireland talks to begin after transformative election

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Northern Irish leaders prepared on Saturday for three weeks of challenging talks to save their devolved government after a snap election that could have dramatic implications for the politics and constitutional status of the British province.

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East Libyan forces target rival brigades with air strikes around oil ports

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - East Libyan forces carried out air strikes around major oil ports overnight as they sought to regain control of the area from a rival faction, a military spokesman said on Saturday.

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Twelve treated for chemical weapons agents in Mosul since March 1: U.N.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Twelve people, including women and children, are being treated for possible exposure to chemical weapons agents in Mosul, where Islamic State is fighting off an offensive by U.S.-backed Iraqi forces, the United Nations said on Saturday.

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China's 2017 defense budget rise to slow again

BEIJING (Reuters) - Defying pressure for a strong increase in defense spending, China said on Saturday its military budget this year would grow about 7 percent, its slowest pace since 2010.

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U.S. secretary of state to visit Japan, South Korea, China: Kyodo

TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is due to visit Japan, South Korea and China this month to discuss North Korea on his first trip to the region since he took up his post, Japanese media reported on Saturday.

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Bruised DUP edge buoyant Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland election

BELFAST (Reuters) - The pro-British Democratic Unionist Party narrowly remained Northern Ireland's largest party after edging Irish nationalists Sinn Fein by a single seat in snap elections ahead of arduous talks to resurrect their power-sharing government.

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Syrian opposition accepts U.N. principles at end of peace talks

GENEVA (Reuters) - The Syrian opposition has provisionally accepted 12 principles given to delegates by the United Nations at the end of an eight-day round of peace talks, chief negotiator Nasr al-Hariri said.

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Welcome to the wall: artist Banksy opens Bethlehem hotel

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - Under an army watchtower and across the street from the concrete wall Israel has built in parts of the occupied West Bank, street artist Banksy has opened a guesthouse in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem.

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North Korean murder suspect says Malaysia in conspiracy to damage Pyongyang's honor

BEIJING (Reuters) - Ri Jong Chol, a suspect in the murder of the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader, said in Beijing that he was a victim of a conspiracy by Malaysian authorities attempting to damage the honor of North Korea.

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Macron gets poll boost in French presidential race as Fillon crisis deepens

PARIS (Reuters) - Independent centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron consolidated his status as favorite for the French presidency on Friday as pressure mounted on scandal-hit conservative rival Francois Fillon to pull out.

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North Korean suspect in airport murder to be deported from Malaysia and not allowed back

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A North Korean suspect detained by Malaysia in connection with the bizarre airport murder of Kim Jong Nam will be deported to Pyongyang on Friday and not allowed back, the Malaysian deputy prime minister said on Friday.

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Rival Kurdish factions clash in northwestern Iraq

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Rival Kurdish groups clashed in Iraq's northwestern Sinjar region on Friday, two Kurdish security sources said, causing deaths on both sides.

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Samsung chief's 'trial of the century' to start next week

SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Group leader Jay Y. Lee will go on trial for bribery and embezzlement on Thursday, a court said, amid a corruption scandal that has rocked South Korea and led to the impeachment of the president.

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Syrian army announces recapture of Palmyra from Islamic State

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army said on Thursday it had recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from Islamic State for the second time in a year, with help from allied forces and Russian warplanes.

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Route to more power for China's Xi runs through remote Guizhou

BEIJING (Reuters) - When China rejuvenates its top leadership team toward the end of the year, sources close to senior leaders say President Xi Jinping could reveal his grip on power with a possible leapfrog promotion for Guizhou Communist Party boss Chen Miner.

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Al-Qaeda confirms death of senior leader in Syria - statement

CAIRO (Reuters) - Al-Qaeda confirmed on Thursday that a U.S.-led coalition drone strike had killed senior leader Abu al-Khayr al-Masri, in a joint statement issued by the militant group's Maghreb and Arabian Peninsula branches.

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Iraqi forces in Mosul fight Islamic State counter-attack

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters launched a counter-attack against advancing U.S.-backed Iraqi forces in western Mosul during an overnight storm, as the battle for control of the militants' last major urban stronghold in Iraq intensified.

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Philippines demands proof for rights group's assertion of police 'executions'

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines on Thursday dismissed as "thoughtless and irresponsible" a report by Human Rights Watch that President Rodrigo Duterte had turned a blind eye to murders by police in what the group called a "campaign of extrajudicial execution".

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U.S.-allied militia agrees to hand villages to Syrian government

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A U.S.-allied militia in northern Syria said on Thursday it had agreed to hand over villages on the front line with Turkey-backed rebels to Syrian government control under an agreement with Russia.

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Brussels tells EU states to detain more migrants awaiting deportation

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union member states should detain migrants who have no case for asylum to prevent them from running away before they are deported, the chief migration official with the bloc's executive arm in Brussels said.

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South Korea worried about calls in China against South Korea firms over THAAD

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on Thursday it was concerned about growing calls in China to put South Korean companies at a disadvantage over Beijing's objections to the planned deployment of the U.S. THAAD anti-missile defense system.

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Malaysia to cancel visa-free entry for North Koreans: Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia will cancel visa-free entry for North Koreans entering the country from March 6, state news agency Bernama reported on Thursday citing the deputy prime minister.

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UK PM May's Brexit plan suffers hitch in parliament

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's upper parliamentary house dealt a defeat to Theresa May's government on Wednesday, voting for a change to her Brexit plan that says she can only trigger divorce talks if she promises to protect EU citizens' rights.

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Syrian government forces enter Palmyra, drive back Islamic State: monitors

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russian-backed Syrian government forces and their allies fought their way into Palmyra on Wednesday, driving back Islamic State militants who have held the historic city since December, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported.

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Juncker launches post-Brexit EU reform proposals

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday presented options for reforming the bloc to shore up its unity and popular support after Britain's shock decision to withdraw.

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Iraqi army controls main roads out of Mosul, trapping Islamic State

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S.-backed Iraqi army units on Wednesday took control of the last major road out of western Mosul that had been in Islamic State's hands, trapping the militants in a shrinking area within the city, a general and residents said.

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Taliban claim multiple attacks in Afghan capital Kabul

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan Taliban militants said they attacked police, military and intelligence targets in Kabul on Wednesday and security officials confirmed attacks in at least two areas of the city.

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At least one dead, 35 wounded in Kabul attacks-Afghan official

KABUL (Reuters) - At least one person was killed and 35 wounded on Wednesday in Taliban attacks on different parts of the Afghan capital of Kabul, the ministry of public health said.

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French presidential candidate Fillon postpones farm fair visit

PARIS (Reuters) - Conservative French presidential candidate Francois Fillon abruptly postponed a high-profile campaign event on Wednesday and a newspaper reported he had been summoned by magistrates investigating allegations over payments to his wife.

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Trump recommits to U.S. allies but says must pay 'fair share'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Tuesday reaffirmed support for the United States' longstanding security alliances around the world but insisted that friends and partners from Europe to the Middle East to the Pacific must “pay their fair share of the cost.”

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Wife of French presidential candidate Fillon held for questioning -report

PARIS (Reuters) - Penelope Fillon, the wife of presidential candidate Francois Fillon, was being held for questioning in connection with allegations she did little work for payments she received as his assistant, news web site Mediapart reported on Wednesday.

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