White House defends Trump invitation to Duterte despite human rights criticism

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's decision to invite Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to Washington, saying his cooperation was needed to counter North Korea, even as the administration faced human rights criticism for its overture to Manila.

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Iran satellite TV head shot dead in Istanbul: Dogan news

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The head of an Iranian satellite television network who last year was sentenced in absentia to six years in prison by a Tehran court was shot dead in Istanbul together with a business partner, Turkey's Dogan news agency said on Sunday.

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Iraqi commander vows to complete capture of Mosul in May

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A top Iraqi commander expects to dislodge Islamic State from Mosul in May despite resistance from militants in the densely populated Old City district.

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U.S.-backed militias claim big advance against IS in Syria's Tabqa

BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S.-backed militias said on Sunday they had made a big advance in Tabqa, a strategically vital town controlling Syria's largest dam, in their campaign to drive Islamic State from its stronghold of Raqqa, 40km (25 miles) downstream.

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U.S. Marines back in Helmand as Afghanistan 'stalemate' continues

CAMP SHORAB, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The U.S. Marine Corps has returned to Helmand, the restive province in southern Afghanistan where it fought years of bloody battles with the Taliban, to help train Afghan forces struggling to contain the insurgency.

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Merkel's conservatives widen lead to 7 points 5 months before German vote

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats have opened a seven-point lead over the centre-left Social Democrats five months ahead of the Sept. 24 election, according to a poll on Sunday in the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

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Military plane crashes in Cuba killing eight on board

HAVANA (Reuters) - A military airplane crashed against a mountain in the north-western region of Artemisa on Saturday morning, killing all eight military personnel on board, the Cuban News Agency (ACN) reported.

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EU leaders united on Brexit demands - for now

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders endorsed a stiff set of divorce terms for Britain at a summit on Saturday, rejoicing in a rare show of unity in adversity but well aware that may start to fray once negotiations begin.

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French presidential hopeful Le Pen names nationalist as prime minister

PARIS (Reuters) - French far-right presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen on Saturday named defeated first-round candidate Nicolas Dupont-Aignan as her chosen prime minister, a bid to attract his voters and help win victory over the centrist favorite Emmanuel Macron.

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Russia's Lavrov says ready to cooperate with U.S. on Syria: agencies

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moscow is ready to cooperate with the United States on settling the Syrian crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday, Russian news agencies reported.

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French amphibious carrier visits Japan ahead of Pacific show of power

SASEBO (Reuters) - As tension spikes on the Korean peninsula, a French amphibious assault carrier sailed into Japan's naval base of Sasebo on Saturday ahead of drills that risk upsetting China, which faces U.S. pressure to rein in North Korea's arms programs.

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China deports U.S. citizen convicted of espionage

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China has deported a U.S. citizen who was convicted of espionage this week after being held without trial for two years, removing a source of friction between Washington and Beijing.

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Strong earthquake hits off Philippines, no major impact seen

MANILA (Reuters) - A strong earthquake measuring 7.2 struck off the coast of Mindanao island in the Philippines on Saturday, and the country's seismology agency advised people to stay away from coastal areas but expected no major damage.

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Exclusive: Trump says 'major, major' conflict with North Korea possible, but seeks diplomacy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday a major conflict with North Korea is possible in the standoff over its nuclear and missile programs, but he would prefer a diplomatic outcome to the dispute.

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North Korea test-fires ballistic missile, appears to have failed: South Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile on Saturday from a region north of its capital, but it appears to have failed, South Korea's military said, defying intense pressure from the United States and the reclusive state's main ally, China.

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China warns situation with North Korea at 'critical point'

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - China warned on Friday that the situation with North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs is at a "critical point" and said dialogue and negotiations are the only "practical" way to end tensions.

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Secretary of State Tillerson urges U.N. to act 'before North Korea does'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Friday the threat of an attack by Pyongyang against Japan and South Korea is real and urged the U.N. Security Council to act "before North Korea does."

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Syrian youth find freedom in Parkour

INKHIL, Syria (Reuters) - Leaping over bombed roofs and jumping through damaged window frames, a group of teenagers run and swing their way through buildings left dilapidated by six years of war in the southern Syrian town of Inkhil.

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Furor over Holocaust comments hits Le Pen's election bid

PARIS (Reuters) - Marine Le Pen's bid to defy the odds and win election as French president risked a setback on Friday when the man named interim head of her National Front party stood down to defend himself against charges that he shares the views of Holocaust deniers.

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Exclusive: Trump complains Saudis not paying fair share for U.S. defense

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump complained on Thursday that U.S. ally Saudi Arabia was not treating the United States fairly and Washington was losing a “tremendous amount of money” defending the kingdom.

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Exclusive: Trump vows to fix or scrap Korea trade deal, wants missile system payment

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump told Reuters on Thursday he will either renegotiate or terminate what he called a "horrible" free trade deal with South Korea and said Seoul should pay for a U.S. anti-missile system that he priced at $1 billion.

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Exclusive: Trump spurns Taiwan president's suggestion of another phone call

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday spurned the Taiwanese president’s suggestion that the two leaders hold another phone call, saying he did not want to create problems for Chinese President Xi Jinping at a time when Beijing appears to be helping with efforts to rein in North Korea.

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China warned North Korea of sanctions after any nuclear test: Tillerson

BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China has told the Trump administration it warned North Korea it would impose unilateral sanctions should Pyongyang carry out another nuclear test, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday, in possibly China's toughest threat yet against its defiant neighbor.Tillerson, speaking on Fox News, said China has asked North Korea not to conduct any more nuclear tests. He noted that major commemorations in North had passed in recent days without a feared nucl

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London police shoot one, arrest four in counter-terrorism operation

(Reuters) - British police said officers shot a woman and arrested four other people in London and nearby Kent during a counter-terrorism investigation on Thursday.

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Protesters storm into Macedonia parliament, Social Democratic leader injured: witnesses

SKOPJE (Reuters) - Protesters stormed into Macedonia's parliament and assaulted the leader of the Social Democrats on Thursday after his party and ethnic Albanian allies voted to elect an Albanian as parliament speaker, witnesses said.

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At U.N., U.S. calls for pressure on Russia to try to end Syria war

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, pushed the U.N. Security Council on Thursday to focus "all eyes and all pressure" on Russia to try and end the Syrian conflict and pressed for council action even if it faces a veto by Moscow.

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British police arrest man with knives near PM May's residence

LONDON (Reuters) - British police said on Thursday a man had been arrested on Whitehall, the street home to numerous government ministries in central London, and a Reuters photographer saw at least two knives on the ground.

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Russian intelligence ship sinks off Turkey's Black Sea coast: authorities

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Russian naval intelligence ship sank off Turkey's Black Sea coast on Thursday after colliding with a vessel carrying livestock and all 78 personnel on board were evacuated, Turkey's coastal safety authority said.

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Abbas turns screw on Hamas by cutting Gaza's electricity

GAZA (Reuters) - With the prospect looming of a Middle East peace initiative by a new U.S. administration more sympathetic to Israel, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has decided to turn the screw on the Hamas group that has kept Gaza out of his control for a decade.

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Exclusive: Taiwan president says phone call with Trump can take place again

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said a direct phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump could take place again and urged the self-ruled island's political rival China to step up to its global responsibility to keep the peace as a large nation.

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Israel strikes arms depot near Syrian capital's airport: sources

AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebel and intelligence sources said Israel struck an arms supply hub on Thursday operated by the Lebanese Hezbollah group near Damascus airport where weapons from Tehran are regularly sent by commercial and military cargo planes.

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Large blast and fire at Damascus airport: Syrian Observatory

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A large explosion hit in the area of Damascus International Airport followed by a fire in the same place early on Thursday the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said.

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Macron campaign for French presidency off to slower start than Le Pen: poll

PARIS (Reuters) - Fewer French voters believe centrist Emmanuel Macron got off to a good start in the last lap of France's presidential election than far right leader Marine Le Pen, a poll showed on Thursday.

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U.S., South Korea agree THAAD deployment going smoothly: South Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean and U.S. national security advisers agreed on Thursday that the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile defense system was moving ahead smoothly, South Korea's presidential office said.

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Front-runner unexpectedly withdraws from Canada Conservative Party race

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The front-runner in the race to become the next leader of Canada's Conservatives dropped out on Wednesday mere hours before the final televised debate, stunning party insiders and throwing the contest open to two remaining favorites.

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Venezuela death toll hits 27, protesters battle security forces

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan security forces fired scores of tear gas volleys and turned water cannons on rock-throwing protesters on a bridge in Caracas on Wednesday as the death toll from this month's anti-government unrest hit at least 27.

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Russia says U.S. missile strike on Syria was a threat to its forces

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu complained on Wednesday that a U.S. missile strike on a Syrian air base earlier this month had posed a threat to Russian troops and was forcing Moscow to take extra measures to protect them.

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Turkey suspends 9,103 police personnel over alleged links with failed coup: CNN Turk

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have suspended 9,103 personnel from the police force, broadcaster CNN Turk reported on Wednesday, as part of an investigation of over alleged links with a U.S.-based cleric who Ankara says orchestrated a failed coup last July.

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U.S. may need stronger defense against North Korea missiles: admiral

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States may need to strengthen its missile defenses, particularly in Hawaii, given the advancing threat from North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programs, the top U.S. commander in the Pacific told Congress on Wednesday.

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Turkey says detains 1,000 'secret imams' in police purge

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish authorities arrested more than 1,000 people on Wednesday they said had secretly infiltrated police forces across the country on behalf of a U.S.-based cleric blamed by the government for a failed coup attempt last July.

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Le Pen not an option as French far-left polls members on election round two

PARIS (Reuters) - Jean-Luc Melenchon, the far left candidate who came fourth in the first round of France's presidential election with nearly 20 percent of the vote, is polling core supporters on whether they will back centrist Emmanuel Macron in the second round.

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French intelligence report says Assad forces behind April 4 sarin attack

PARIS (Reuters) - French intelligence services have concluded that forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad carried out a sarin nerve gas attack on April 4 in northern Syria and that Assad or his closest entourage ordered the strike, a declassified report showed.

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Trump administration to brief full U.S. Congress on North Korea policy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers want to leave briefings on North Korea on Wednesday with something many think has been absent in the Trump administration so far: a clear strategy for dealing with a major national security threat.

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Macron, Le Pen trade accusations in French election race

PARIS (Reuters) - France's two presidential candidates traded barbs on Tuesday with centrist Emmanuel Macron accusing far-right rival Marine Le Pen of promoting hatred, while she labeled him as the "candidate of the oligarchy."

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U.S. military begins moving THAAD missile defense to South Korea site: media

SEOUL (Reuters) - The U.S. military has started moving parts of the controversial THAAD anti-missile defense system into a planned deployment site in South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, amid high tensions over North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.

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Erdogan says Turkey won't wait at Europe's door forever

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey will not wait at Europe's door forever and is ready to walk away from EU accession talks if rising Islamophobia and hostility from some member states persist, President Tayyip Erdogan told Reuters in a wide-ranging interview on Tuesday.

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Erdogan says Turkey could reconsider its position on Europe

ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan told Reuters on Tuesday that Turkey would reconsider its position on joining the European Union if it was kept waiting much longer and if the current hostile mentality of some member states persists.

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Budapest university head seeks EU help against closure threat

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The head of a Budapest university pressured by Prime Minister Viktor Orban appealed to Brussels for help on Tuesday, a day before European Union lawmakers were to discuss concerns about the Hungarian leader.

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Le Pen's father criticizes her presidential campaign as she steps back from party

PARIS (Reuters) - French far-right veteran Jean-Marie Le Pen said on Tuesday his daughter Marine, who faces centrist Emmanuel Macron in a May 7 presidential runoff, should have campaigned more aggressively for Sunday's first round, following the example of Donald Trump.

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Air strikes kill at least 12, damage hospital in Syria's Idlib: medics, monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian or Russian air strikes killed more than a dozen people and severely damaged a hospital in and around a town in rebel-held Idlib province on Tuesday, local medical workers and a monitoring group said.

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Iraqi forces using siege and stealth to evict Islamic State from Mosul

MOSUL, Iraq, (Reuters) - Iraqi forces are using siege and stealth tactics to drive Islamic State militants out of Mosul's Old City, an Iraqi general said, as his forces sought to minimize casualties among hundreds of thousands of people trapped in the cramped, historic neighborhood.

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Five Iraqi Peshmerga fighters killed by mistake in raid on PKK: Kurdish sources

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Five Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters were killed by mistake in a Turkish air raid on a nearby position of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) militants on Tuesday in northern Iraq, Kurdish sources said.

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Chile rocked by 6.9-magnitude quake; no major damage reported

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck off the west coast of Chile on Monday, rocking the capital Santiago and briefly causing alarm along the Pacific Coast but sparing the quake-prone nation of any serious damage.

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At 'sit-ins' and barricades, Venezuela protesters try to keep momentum

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelans erected barricades with garbage and even bathtubs on Monday and snarled traffic with mass "sit-ins" along major thoroughfares to press their demand for early elections as anti-government protests entered a fourth week.

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U.S. sanctions hundreds of employees of Syrian research center

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Monday blacklisted 271 employees of a Syrian government agency it said was responsible for developing chemical weapons, weeks after a poison gas attack killed scores of people in a rebel-held province in Syria.

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Afghan defense chief quits over attack; U.S. warns of 'another tough year'

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's defense minister and army chief of staff resigned on Monday after the deadliest Taliban attack on a military base, and U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he was "under no illusions" about the problems facing the country.

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Bomb attack hits U.S. base in eastern Afghanistan

KHOST, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Suspected Taliban insurgents on Monday attacked a U.S.-operated base in Afghanistan's eastern province of Khost, officials said, but gave few immediate details of an assault that coincided with a visit to Kabul by U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis.

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U.S., Philippines scale back next month's military drills, no more 'war games'

MANILA (Reuters) - About 5,000 American and Philippine troops will hold humanitarian exercises next month instead of annual war games, scaling back military drills in response to President Rodrigo Duterte's disdain for their longstanding defense alliance.

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Gloves off in French election as Le Pen aide calls Macron 'arrogant'

PARIS (Reuters) - Round two of the bitter fight for the French presidency got under way on Monday within hours of first round results with far-right leader Marine Le Pen's top aide launching a stinging attack on her centrist opponent Emmanuel Macron.

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Carrier group heads for Korean waters as Trump calls leaders

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on Monday it was in talks about holding joint drills with a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group, as U.S. President Donald Trump called the leaders of Japan and China amid fears North Korea could conduct another nuclear test.

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At least 30 killed in drug violence across Mexico: officials

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - At least 30 people were killed over the weekend in Mexico, according to local officials, amid a widespread surge in drug gang violence that has driven murders to a level not seen since 2011.

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Al Qaeda chief urges jihadists to use guerrilla tactics in Syria

AMMAN (Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri has called on Syrian Sunni jihadists to wage guerrilla war against enemies ranging from Syrian President Bashar al Assad and his Iranian-backed allies to Western powers.

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Conservatives hold 22-point lead ahead of UK election: ICM poll

(Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives have a 22 point lead over Labour, an ICM poll said on Sunday ahead of a general election on June 8.

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North Korea detains third U.S. citizen: Yonhap

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea detained a U.S. citizen on Friday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, bringing the total number of Americans held by the isolated country to three.

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Japanese ships join U.S. carrier for drills as it nears Korean waters

TOKYO (Reuters) - Two Japanese destroyers on Sunday began an exercise with the U.S. Carl Vinson carrier strike group in the Western Pacific as it approaches waters around the Korean peninsula, Japan's navy said.

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May's Conservatives on course for sweeping British election victory

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Theresa May appeared on course to win a crushing election victory in June after opinion polls put support for her ruling Conservative party at around 50 percent, double that of the opposition Labour party.

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Saudi king restores civil service and military allowances: TV

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Salman issued a royal decree on Saturday restoring financial allowances for civil servants and military personnel that had been cut under austerity measures.

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May's Conservatives at 50 percent in poll, highest since 1991

LONDON (Reuters) - Support for Theresa May's ruling Conservatives was at 50 percent in a Comres poll published on Saturday, putting the prime minister on course for a landslide election victory on June 8.

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Mourning declared after scores of troops die in Afghan base attack

MAZAR-I-SHARIF/KABUL, Afghanistan (Reuters) - President Ashraf Ghani declared a national day of mourning after scores of soldiers were killed by Taliban fighters disguised as fellow soldiers, in the deadliest attack of its kind on an Afghan military base.

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Overseas voters kick off crucial French presidential election

PARIS/PAPEETE, French Polynesia (Reuters) - French overseas territories and residents in some U.S. states such as Hawaii began voting on Saturday in the French presidential election, a day ahead of a main first-round vote that could change the global political landscape.

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Police injured in protests against right-wing AfD party congress

COLOGNE, Germany (Reuters) - Two police officers were injured and a police car was set ablaze during protests in Cologne on Saturday, police said, as some 600 delegates of the deeply divided anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party met to discuss policy for September's national elections.

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Hundreds more join Mosul exodus as Iraqi forces retake two more western districts

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Pushing carts loaded with bags, babies and the elderly, hundreds of people fled Mosul on Saturday after Iraqi forces retook two more districts in the west of the city from Islamic State.

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Peaceful outcome for Korean peninsula still possible: Pence

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula can still be achieved peacefully because of Washington's new engagement with China, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Saturday, despite growing fears North Korea could soon conduct a new nuclear test.

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Russia complains to U.S. over exclusion from Syria chemical probe

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has told the United States it regrets Washington's opposition to letting its inspectors take part in an investigation into a chemical weapons attack in Syria earlier this month, the foreign ministry said on Friday.

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U.S. forces kill Islamic State militant linked to Turkey nightclub attack

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States disclosed on Friday a secret military ground operation that killed an Islamic State operative seen as a close associate of leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and linked to an attack on a Turkish nightclub that left 39 people dead.

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South Korea on heightened alert as isolated North readies for army celebration

SEOUL/BEIJING (Reuters) - South Korea said on Friday it was on heightened alert ahead of another important anniversary in North Korea, with a large concentration of military hardware amassed on both sides of the border amid concerns about a new nuclear test by Pyongyang.

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Le Pen loses ground to Macron in French election race: poll

PARIS (Reuters) - French centrist Emmanuel Macron is set to come out on top in the first round of France's presidential election on Sunday as far right leader Marine Le Pen fell further behind him in an Elabe poll published on Friday.

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Weighing arms sale, U.S. seeks Saudi pledge on Yemen civilian casualties

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States wants new commitments from Saudi Arabia to improve its targeting procedures to minimize civilian casualties in its part in the Yemen civil war as it weighs resuming sales of precision-guided munitions to Riyadh, U.S. officials told Reuters.

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Rouhani, rival to run in Iran's presidential election; Ahmadinejad barred

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and hardline rival Ebrahim Raisi were both approved to run in May's presidential election by a government vetting body, while former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was disqualified, state media reported on Thursday.

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Russian court bans Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist: agencies

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Jehovah's Witnesses was an "extremist" organisation and must hand over all its property to the state, Russian news agencies reported.

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Venezuelan opposition plans more protests against Maduro

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition called for renewed nationwide protests on Thursday to pressure the government of President Nicolas Maduro to hold elections and improve a collapsing economy, a day after three people were killed in similar demonstrations.

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Russia denies Reuters report think tank drew up plan to sway U.S. election

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia dismissed as false on Thursday a Reuters report that said a government think tank controlled by President Vladimir Putin had developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election in Donald Trump's favor.

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Chasing pair Fillon, Melenchon level as French election nears

PARIS (Reuters) - Hard-left presidential challenger Jean-Luc Melenchon and conservative Francois Fillon were neck-and-neck behind the frontrunners in an opinion poll on Thursday, as candidates made last-ditch appeals to undecided voters.

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May to make election pledge to end EU free movement of people into UK: Daily Mail

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May will make a formal pledge ahead of the June 8 election to end European Union free movement of people into Britain, the Daily Mail newspaper reported, citing unidentified party sources.

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Exclusive: Putin-linked think tank drew up plan to sway 2016 U.S. election - documents

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters’ faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former U.S. officials told Reuters.

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Tillerson accuses Iran of 'alarming provocations' as U.S. reviews policy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday accused Iran of 'alarming ongoing provocations' to destabilize countries in the Middle East as the Trump administration launched a review of its policy toward Tehran.

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U.S. considers restoring Pyongyang to terror sponsor list: Tillerson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday the United States is looking at ways to bring pressure to bear on North Korea over its nuclear program, including whether Pyongyang should have been removed from a U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

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Israel says Assad's forces still have several tonnes of chemical weapons

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's military said on Wednesday it believes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces still possess several tonnes of chemical weapons, issuing the assessment two weeks after a chemical attack that killed nearly 90 people in Syria.

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Venezuelan opposition marches against Maduro; student killed

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan security forces fired tear gas as demonstrators staged what they billed as the "mother of all marches" against President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday, and a student caught up in a clash died after being shot in the head.

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Macron hangs on to lead in French election, Le Pen's camp rows with Brussels

PARIS (Reuters) - Centrist Emmanuel Macron clung on to his status as favorite to win France's presidential election in a four-way race that is too close to call, as the camp of far-right challenger Marine Le Pen ramped up its eurosceptic rhetoric in a row with Brussels.

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British lawmakers set to approve PM May's June 8 election plan

LONDON (Reuters) - The British parliament was expected on Wednesday to formally approve Prime Minister Theresa May's plan to hold an early election on June 8 she hopes will deliver a stronger personal mandate as she embarks on Brexit talks.

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British PM May calls for early election to strengthen Brexit hand

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May called on Tuesday for an early election on June 8, saying she needed to strengthen her hand in divorce talks with the European Union by bolstering support for her Brexit plan.

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Trump orders review of lifting sanctions against Iran: Tillerson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered an inter-agency review of whether the lifting of sanctions against Iran under a 2015 nuclear deal was in the United States' national security interests, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Tuesday.

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As Trump warned North Korea, his 'armada' was headed toward Australia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When U.S. President Donald Trump boasted early last week that he had sent an "armada" as a warning to North Korea, the aircraft carrier strike group he spoke of was still far from the Korean peninsula, and headed in the opposite direction.

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Brazil waters down pension reform as protests turn violent

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's President Michel Temer on Tuesday made new concessions to ease passage of an unpopular pension reform bill that has drawn angry demonstrations from labor organizations, including police unions that tried to invade Congress in protest.

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Exclusive: Asylum applications in Mexico surge after Trump election win

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The number of people applying for asylum in Mexico has soared by more than 150 percent since Donald Trump was elected U.S. president, according to Mexican data, as more Central American migrants seek to stay rather than take their chances in the United States.

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Down in polls, France's Le Pen targets immigration for boost

PARIS (Reuters) - Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen sought on Tuesday to turn the debate in the final week of France's presidential election to immigration as she looked to reverse a dip in polls.

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Pence reassures Japan of U.S. resolve on North Korea, to work with China

TOKYO (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence reassured Japan of American commitment to reining in North Korea's nuclear and missile ambitions on Tuesday, after warning that U.S. strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed the strength of its resolve.

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Trump promised Turkey's Erdogan close cooperation on Syria, Iraq, PKK: Turkish sources

ANKARA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on his referendum campaign in a phone call on Monday and vowed close cooperation on Syria, Iraq and the fight against Kurdish militants, Turkish presidential sources said.

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Turkish PM says rumors of foul play an effort to undermine referendum result

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday rumors of irregularities in a referendum over the weekend were a vain effort to cast doubt on the result, after the main opposition party vowed to apply for the vote to be annulled.

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China's man on North Korea crisis cools heels in Beijing

SEOUL/BEIJING (Reuters) - The travels and travails of China’s veteran point man on North Korea underscore China’s growing frustration in its efforts to broker a negotiated solution to rising tensions between North Korea and the United States. 

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'I will protect you!' Le Pen tells voters ahead of presidential election

PARIS (Reuters) - Far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Sunday sought to mobilize her supporters six days ahead of France's most unpredictable presidential election in decades by pledging to suspend all immigration and shield voters from "savage globalization."

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Macron urges French to get rid of old generation as race tightens

PARIS (Reuters) - Presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron urged French voters on Monday to turn the page on the last 20 years and bring a new generation to power, as he stepped up attacks against resurgent far-left and conservative rivals six days before voting day.

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Islamic State seeking alliance with al Qaeda, Iraqi vice president says

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State is talking to al Qaeda about a possible alliance as Iraqi troops close in on IS fighters in Mosul, Iraqi Vice President Ayad Allawi said in an interview on Monday.

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Syrian envoy slams U.S. airfield attack 'message' to North Korea

PYONGYANG (Reuters) - Syria's ambassador to North Korea denounced what he called U.S. aggression and its "history of interventions" on Monday and said that it sending a "message" to North Korea with an attack on a Syrian airfield was irresponsible.

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Burying 'Trumpomania,' Kremlin TV says Trump scarier than North Korean leader

MOSCOW (Reuters) - As Russian hopes of swift detente under President Donald Trump have fizzled, state media, which hailed his election win, have made a U-turn. On Sunday, they said he was scarier than North Korea's Kim Jong-Un.

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Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails begin hunger strike

GAZA/RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails began a hunger strike on Monday in response to a call by prominent prisoner Marwan Barghouti, widely seen as a possible future Palestinian president.

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Erdogan's narrow victory lays bare Turkey's divisions

ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Supporters of Tayyip Erdogan waved flags in the streets while opponents banged pots and pans in protest in their homes, after a narrow referendum victory gave the Turkish president sweeping powers and laid the nation's divisions bare.

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Russia says plans a meeting with U.S. and U.N. on Syria in Geneva: agencies

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Monday that diplomats from Russia, the United States and the United Nations plan to discuss the Syrian crisis in Geneva next week, Russian news agencies quoted him as saying.

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Far-left veteran Melenchon draws big crowd as French election enters final straight

TOULOUSE/PARIS (Reuters) - Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon drew tens of thousands to a rally on Sunday, aiming to maintain momentum that has pushed the one-time outsider into contention in the French presidential election, with the first round of voting a week away.

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Pence arrives at U.S. base in South Korea next to DMZ border with North

CAMP BONIFAS, South Korea (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence arrived by helicopter on Monday at a U.S. military base in South Korea next to the highly fortified DMZ border with North Korea, a day after the North launched a missile that blew up almost immediately.

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Syrian army regains key town in north Hama province

AMMAN (Reuters) - The Syrian army regained the strategic town of Soran near the city of Hama in the central part of western Syria on Sunday with an assault backed by heavy Russian air strikes, rebels and residents said.

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Trump aide McMaster: Time for tough talks with Russia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House national security adviser H. R. McMaster said on Sunday it was time for tough talks with Russia over its support for Syria's government and its "subversive" actions in Europe.

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U.S., allies weigh options after North Korea's missile test: adviser

WASHINGTON/PYONGYANG (Reuters) - The United States, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest attempted ballistic missile test, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday, citing what he called an international consensus to act.

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Explosives used in Dortmund attack may have come from German military: newspaper

BERLIN (Reuters) - The explosives used in the attack on the bus of soccer team Borussia Dortmund may have come from supplies belonging to the German armed forces, a newspaper cited a source involved in the investigation as saying on Saturday.

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Erdogan makes final push before vote on presidential powers

ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan appealed for support from Turkish voters in final campaign rallies on Saturday, the eve of a referendum which could tighten his grip over a country bridging the European Union and a conflict-strewn Middle East.

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Syrians stuck around Aleppo as evacuation deal stalls: monitor, activists

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Thousands of Syrians were stuck in and around Aleppo on Saturday as a deal to evacuate two Shi'ite villages in return for Sunni rebels and their families being allowed to leave two besieged towns near Damascus stalled, a monitor and activists said.

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French presidential race tightens further as vote looms

PARIS (Reuters) - France's presidential race looked tighter than it has all year on Friday, nine days before voting begins, as two polls put the four frontrunners within reach of a two-person run-off vote.

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Rain in Pyongyang as North Koreans prepare for 'Day of the Sun'

PYONGYANG (Reuters) - North Koreans placed flower baskets and bouquets below portraits of founder president Kim Il Sung on Friday, showing little sign of tension despite fears the reclusive nation may conduct a nuclear test and the United States would retaliate.

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Vice President Pence heads to Seoul as North Korea tensions flare

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will travel to South Korea on Sunday in what his aides said was a sign of the U.S. commitment to its ally in the face of rising tensions over North Korea's nuclear program.

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Lavrov says Russia, U.S. agree U.S. strikes on Syria should not be repeated: Interfax

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and the United States have a shared understanding that U.S. air strikes on Syria should not be repeated, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moualem in Moscow on Thursday, Interfax news agency reported.

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In historic referendum, Turkey's Erdogan faces his biggest test

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Much like the vast mosque he has commissioned atop one of Istanbul's highest hills, President Tayyip Erdogan's supporters hope a referendum on Sunday will be a crowning achievement in his drive to reshape Turkey.

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Erdogan and Putin back investigation into Syria chemical attack

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Thursday to support an investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons into the chemical weapons attack in Syria last week, Turkish presidential sources said.

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U.S. drops 'mother of all bombs' on Islamic State in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States dropped a massive GBU-43 bomb, the largest non-nuclear bomb it has ever used in combat, in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday against a series of caves used by Islamic State militants, the military said.

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Trump says 'things will work out fine' between U.S. and Russia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday "things will work out fine" between the United States and Russia, a day after he said U.S.-Russian relations may be at an all-time low.

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Syrian army says U.S.-led air strike on Wednesday hit IS poison gas depot, killing hundreds

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army said that an air strike late on Wednesday by the U.S.-led coalition hit poison gas supplies belonging to Islamic State, releasing a toxic substance that killed "hundreds including many civilians."

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Chemical weapons experts in Turkey to investigate alleged Syrian sarin attack: sources

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A team of experts from the global chemical weapons watchdog has been sent to Turkey to collect samples as part of an investigation into an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria last week that killed 87 people.

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Foreign journalists in North Korea gather for 'big event' amid tensions

PYONGYANG (Reuters) - Foreign journalists visiting North Korea gathered in Pyongyang for "a big and important event" on Thursday with tensions high over the possibility of a new weapons test by the isolated state and as a U.S. carrier group sails towards the Korean peninsula.

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Exclusive: North Korea oil imports, airline among possible U.S. sanctions targets - sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Despite sending a naval force to the Korean peninsula, the Trump administration is focusing its North Korea strategy on tougher economic sanctions, possibly including an oil embargo, banning its airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang, U.S. officials say.

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Russia blocks U.N. Security Council condemnation of Syria attack

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia blocked a Western-led effort at the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to condemn last week's deadly gas attack in Syria and push Moscow's ally President Bashar al-Assad to cooperate with international inquiries into the incident.

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French presidential race tightens further, markets nervous

PARIS (Reuters) - Polls showed France's presidential election campaign tightening further on Wednesday as financial markets fretted about the rising popularity of a far-left candidate who wants to put France's European Union membership to a vote.

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Russia and USA, after Tillerson talks, agree modest steps to mend ties

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and the United States agreed to set up a working group to try to mend their battered ties on Wednesday after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held lengthy talks in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin and the Russian foreign minister.

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Putin says trust erodes under Trump, Moscow icily receives Tillerson

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday trust had eroded between the United States and Russia under President Donald Trump as Moscow delivered an unusually hostile reception to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a face-off over Syria.

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Brazil's Temer urges business as usual after massive bribery probe

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's President Michel Temer urged lawmakers on Wednesday to push ahead with business as usual, a day after a Supreme Court justice ordered corruption probes into 98 politicians, including leading legislators and a third of his cabinet.

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U.S. general sees progress by Iraqi forces in Mosul despite complicated battle

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi forces are making progress in their offensive to expel Islamic State from Mosul but face a "very complicated" urban battle as the militants hide in mosques, homes and hospitals, a U.S. general told Reuters on Wednesday.

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In her flagship town, France's Le Pen is already a winner

HENIN-BEAUMONT, France (Reuters) - In Henin-Beaumont, where French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen's National Front won power three years ago, her backers are sure she will win a thumping victory later this month - locally, at least.

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Montenegro's NATO membership important for keeping Russia at bay - McCain

PODGORICA (Reuters) - Montenegro's accession to NATO is vital for regional stability and the joint effort of the Western allies to resist a resurgent Russia, U.S. Senator John McCain said on Wednesday.

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Putin says U.S.-Russia ties worse since Trump took office

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Levels of trust between Moscow and Washington have deteriorated since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast on Wednesday.

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Israeli cabinet minister welcomes Spicer's apology over Hitler remarks

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A senior member of Israel's government welcomed on Wednesday White House spokesman Sean Spicer's apology for saying Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons, comments that overlooked the killing of millions of Jews in Nazi gas chambers.

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China's Xi calls for peaceful resolution of North Korea tensions in call with Trump

BEIJING/TOKYO (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a peaceful resolution of rising tensions on the Korean peninsula in a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, as a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group steams towards the region.

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Fury in Vietnam over United passenger dragged from plane

HANOI (Reuters) - Outrage spread to Vietnam on Wednesday over United Airlines' handling of a passenger dragged from his seat after it emerged that the 69-year-old U.S. doctor was Vietnamese by birth.

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Brazil Supreme Court justice orders probe into eight cabinet ministers

BRASILIA (Reuters) - A Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Tuesday opened investigations into eight ministers in President Michel Temer's cabinet and dozens of sitting lawmakers allegedly linked to the country's biggest-ever corruption scandal.

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Tillerson heads to Moscow carrying Western call for Russia to abandon Assad

LUCCA, Italy/MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson carried a message from world powers to Moscow on Tuesday denouncing Russian support for Syria's Bashar al-Assad, as the Trump administration took on America's traditional mantle as leader of a unified West.

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Macron, Le Pen hold French election lead but investors eye Melenchon surge

PARIS (Reuters) - French centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen clung on as frontrunners in France's tight presidential race on Tuesday, but the unpredictable outcome is pushing some pollsters to calculate the most extreme runoff scenarios.

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Monitor says Syrian forces use barrel bombs despite U.S. warning, Syria denies

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian government warplanes dropped barrel bombs on rebel-held areas of Hama province on Tuesday, a day after the United States said their use could lead to further U.S. strikes in Syria.

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South Korea warns of North Korea 'provocations', U.S. navy group approaches

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's acting president warned on Tuesday of "greater provocations" by North Korea as tension on the Korean peninsula rises over concern the North may conduct a test of its military hardware in coming days.

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Mexico City building site collapse kills six

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - At least six people were killed and another 20 were injured on Monday after a structural collapse in a car park under construction in Mexico City crushed workers, local fire services said.

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Fire ravages migrant camp in France, several wounded in fight

LILLE, France (Reuters) - A fire destroyed large swathes of the Grande-Synthe migrant camp near Dunkirk in northern France on Monday night following skirmishes that injured several people earlier in the evening, firefighters and regional authorities said.

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May, Trump agree Russia should break ties with Assad: UK PM's office

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May spoke on Monday to U.S. President Donald Trump and agreed that "a window of opportunity" now exists to persuade Russia to break ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, May's office said.

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Egyptian police kill seven suspected Islamic State militants in shootout

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian security forces killed seven suspected Islamic State militants in a shootout on Monday as they were meeting to plan attacks on minority Christians, the Interior Ministry said.

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Turkey's referendum unlikely to kickstart long-stalled reforms

ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's government says the passage of constitutional reforms on April 16 would make it easier to deliver on long-promised market reforms. But investors aren't so sure, seeing the possibility of more policy gridlock and further elections.

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Hungary's president signs law that could oust Soros-founded college

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's president on Monday signed new legislation on foreign universities that could force out a top international school founded by U.S. financier George Soros, despite large protests against the move by the nationalist government.

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Warplanes drop incendiary bombs in Syria's Idlib, Hama - activists, monitor

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian or Russian warplanes dropped incendiary bombs on areas of Idlib and Hama provinces just days after a deadly gas attack in the region, activists and a monitoring group reported on Monday.

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Families gather after Egypt church attack, state of emergency approved

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Reuters) - Families of victims of Sunday's bombing at Alexandria's Coptic cathedral gathered at the Monastery of Saint Mina under heavy security on Monday as Egypt's cabinet approved a three-month state of emergency ahead of a scheduled trip by Pope Francis.

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Rage at abandonment by the state as Egypt's Christians dig graves after bombing

TANTA, Egypt (Reuters) - Egyptian Christians wept with rage on Monday as they recovered the bodies of loved ones killed in twin church bombings, furious at a state they believe will no longer protect them from neighbors bent on their murder.

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U.S. air strike gives Tillerson a boost for Moscow talks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's visit to Moscow this week will be an early test of whether the Trump administration can use any momentum generated by striking a Syrian air base to craft and execute a strategy to end the Syrian war.

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Exclusive - 'Dollars and euros': How a Malaysian firm helped fund North Korea's leadership

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Over the past two decades, North Korean-born Han Hun Il, the founding chief executive of a Malaysian conglomerate, funneled money to the leadership in Pyongyang, a North Korean defector, speaking out for the first time, told Reuters.

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Tillerson: Syria strike a message to others, including North Korea

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. military strikes against Syria over its alleged use of chemical weapons are a warning to other nations, including North Korea, that "a response is likely" if they pose a danger, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Sunday.

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G7 foreign ministers seek U.S. clarity over Syria

LUCCA, Italy (Reuters) - Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven major industrialized nations meet on Monday for an annual gathering, with Europe and Japan seeking clarity from the United States on an array of issues, especially Syria.

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Assad could see U.S. strike as just a 'slap on the wrist'

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A U.S. cruise missile attack on a Syrian air base may persuade President Bashar al-Assad to be more cautious with some of his tactics, but will not deter him and his allies from pressing a full-throttle military campaign to crush rebels.

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Iran's Rouhani condemns U.S. attack on Syria, chides Gulf Arabs

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Sunday condemned as "flagrant U.S. aggression on Syria" a U.S. missile strike on a on a Syrian air base this week and criticized Gulf Arab states for supporting it, state television reported.

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U.S. Navy strike group to move toward Korean peninsula: U.S. official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy strike group will be moving toward the western Pacific Ocean near the Korean peninsula as a show of force, a U.S. official told Reuters on Saturday, as concerns grow about North Korea's advancing weapons program.

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Death toll in Egypt church bombing reaches 21: state television

CAIRO (Reuters) - The death toll in a church bombing in the Egyptian Nile Delta city of Tanta has climbed to 21, with 50 more injured, state television said on Sunday.

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Trump's U.N. envoy says ouster of al-Assad is a priority of U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in an interview that she sees regime change in Syria as one of the Trump administration's priorities in the country wracked by civil war.

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Abe praises Trump's security commitment after call on Syria, North Korea

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday praised the "strong commitment" of President Donald Trump to global and allied security after his second call with the U.S. leader in four days.

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Russia's Lavrov and U.S. Tillerson spoke by phone about situation in Syria

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke by phone on Saturday about the situation in Syria after the U.S. strikes on a Syrian air base, the Russian ministry said in a statement.

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U.S. strikes destroyed Syrian means to deliver chemical weapons: admiral

COLOGNE, Germany (Reuters) - U.S. Navy Admiral Michelle Howard said on Saturday U.S. cruise missile strikes on an air base in Syria had destroyed the means to deliver chemical weapons from that base, and the U.S. military remained ready to carry out further strikes if needed.

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Protesters take to Venezuela streets after key politician banned from office

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela protesters marched through Caracas and cities across the country on Saturday, as the government's ban of Venezuela's top opposition leader from office breathed life into the disparate opposition and fueled the first sustained anti-government demonstrations since 2014.

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Uzbek man arrested over Swedish truck attack that killed four

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish police arrested a 39-year-old Uzbek man on suspicion of ramming a hijacked beer delivery truck into crowds in central Stockholm, killing four people and wounding 15 in what they called a terror crime.

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North Korea calls U.S. strikes on Syria 'unforgivable'

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Saturday U.S. missile strikes against a Syrian airfield on Friday were "an unforgivable act of aggression" that showed its decision to develop nuclear weapons was "the right choice a million times over".

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Syrian Observatory says air strike kills at least 15 people near Raqqa

BEIRUT (Reuters) - An air strike believed to have been carried out by the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State killed 15 people including four children in a village west of the jihadists' stronghold of Raqqa on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

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At U.S.-China summit, Trump says he and Xi can overcome their many problems

PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he had made progress in talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and expected them to overcome many problems, a marked contrast to the stridently anti-China rhetoric of Trump's 2016 election campaign.

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U.N. says Syria action must abide by international law

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Immediate action is needed to protect the Syrian people but it should be "rooted in the principles of the United Nations and international law," U.N. political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman said on Friday.

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U.N. Security Council to meet Friday on U.S. strikes in Syria: diplomats

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council will meet at 1130 EDT (1530 GMT) on Friday to discuss Thursday's U.S. cruise missile strikes on Syria, diplomats said.

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Vehicle driven into people on city street in Swedish capital

STOCKHOLM(Reuters) - A vehicle has driven into people on a street in central Stockholm causing injuries, police said on Friday.

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Warplane hits Syrian town where gas attack killed scores: witness, Observatory

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A warplane on Friday bombed the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun, where a chemical attack killed scores of people this week and prompted U.S. missile strikes, a witness in the rebel-held area and a war monitoring group said.

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In abrupt shift on Syria, Trump turns to military advisers

WASHINGTON/PALM BEACH (Reuters) - Hours after a poison gas attack in Syria killed dozens of civilians on Tuesday, President Donald Trump's intelligence advisers provided evidence Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was behind the atrocity, officials said.

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Trump, China's Xi dine ahead of talks on security, trade

PALM BEACH, Fla. (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping sat down together to dine on pan-seared Dover sole and New York strip steak on Thursday, spending some social time before digging into thorny bilateral security and trade issues.

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China fighter plane spotted on South China Sea island: think tank

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Chinese fighter plane has been spotted on a Chinese-held island in the South China Sea, the first such deployment seen this year, a U.S. think tank reported on Thursday.

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Trump says 'something should happen' with Assad as U.S. weighs military options

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that "something should happen" with President Bashar al-Assad after a deadly poison gas attack in Syria, as the Pentagon and the White House launched detailed discussions on military options.

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Trump administration discussing military options on Syria: source

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon and the White House are in detailed discussions on military options to respond to a poison gas attack in Syria that killed scores of civilians, and which Washington has blamed on the Syrian government, a U.S. official said on Thursday.

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Venezuela opposition again takes to streets, pushing for earlier election

CARACAS (Reuters) - Seven protests against Venezuela's socialist government were planned in Caracas on Thursday, one for each of the Supreme Court judges who passed a ruling last week taking control of the country's opposition-led congress in what demonstrators said was a lurch toward dictatorship.

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Crackdown hits Dutch dual citizens in Turkey

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dozens of Dutch citizens of Turkish descent, many linked to the opposition Gulen movement, are being prevented from leaving Turkey, a Dutch foreign ministry spokeswoman said on Thursday, confirming an earlier television report.

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U.S. trade group hacked with Chinese software ahead of Xi summit

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A sophisticated hacking group that pursues Chinese government interests broke into the website of a private U.S. trade group ahead of Thursday's summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to researchers.

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Syrian government sets terms for any inquiry into gas attack

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian government set conditions on Thursday for any international inquiry into a suspected chemical attack that killed scores of people, saying it must not be "politicized" and should set out from Damascus and not Turkey.

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Russian police find explosives similar to device used by suicide bomber

ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) - Russian authorities raided a residential building in St Petersburg on Thursday and found explosives similar to those used by a suicide bomber who this week blew up a metro carriage killing 14 people, two security sources said.

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New explosives found in Russia's St. Petersburg linked to metro bombing: sources

ST PETERBURG (Reuters) - Explosives found in a residential building in St Petersburg are similar to the unexploded bomb in the city's metro, found on the day of the bombing that killed 14 people on Monday, Russian security sources said on Thursday.

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Is North Korea putting a nuclear-tipped bargaining chip on the table?

SEOUL (Reuters) - As the leaders of China and the United States sit down for a summit on Thursday, North Korea has made sure it also has something on the negotiating table: A nuclear-tipped bargaining chip.

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Trump says chemical attack in Syria crossed many lines

WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government of going "beyond a red line" with a poison gas attack on civilians and said his attitude toward Syria and Assad had changed, but gave no indication of how he would respond.

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Assad tells paper he sees no 'option except victory' in Syria

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said there is no "option except victory" in the country's civil war in an interview published on Thursday, saying the government could not reach "results" with opposition groups that attended recent peace talks.

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For Trump, Mar-a-Lago is place to break the ice with China's Xi

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has told visitors that his Mar-a-Lago retreat is set up perfectly for foreign visits, but the Chinese side was initially hesitant when word came that Trump would like to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping there.

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On Syria, U.S. warns when U.N. fails, states 'compelled to act'

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley warned during a United Nations Security Council meeting on a deadly poison gas attack in Syria that when the world body fails to act collectively, then countries are "compelled to act."

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Britain, France renew call for Assad to go after Syria chemical attack

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Britain and France on Wednesday renewed their call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to go, after a suspected chemical weapons attack by Damascus killed scores of people in a rebel-held area.

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U.S., France, Britain propose U.N. resolution on Syria gas attack

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States, Britain and France on Tuesday proposed a United Nations Security Council resolution to condemn a suspected deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria, which diplomats said would likely be put to a vote on Wednesday.

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Warplanes mount fresh airstrikes in Idlib area: Syrian Observatory

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Warplanes mounted five air strikes on Wednesday in a rebel-held area of northwestern Syria where dozens of people were killed the day before in a suspected chemical attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

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Blast in Pakistani city of Lahore kills at least four, official says

LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least four people and wounded 18 when he blew himself up near an army vehicle in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Wednesday, a police official said.

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North Korea fires missile into sea off east coast: South Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday from its east coast into the sea off the Peninsula, South Korea's military said, ahead of a summit between U.S. and Chinese leaders who are set to discuss Pyongyang's arms program.

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White House official says North Korea is test for U.S.-China relations

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will discuss how to rein in North Korea's nuclear program with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week in what a senior White House official said on Tuesday would be a test for the U.S.-Chinese relationship.

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Any check on North Korea has to involve China: U.S. general

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Any effort to curb North Korea's weapons program will need to involve China, a senior U.S. military official said on Tuesday, just days after President Donald Trump said Washington might deal with Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs on its own if need be.

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Venezuela security forces clash with anti-Maduro protesters

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan security forces quelled rowdy protesters with tear gas, water cannons and pepper spray in Caracas on Tuesday after blocking an opposition rally against unpopular socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

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Turkey's Erdogan calls on Iraqi Kurds to lower Kurdish flag in Kirkuk

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday called on Iraqi Kurds to lower the Kurdish flag in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, warning that failure to do so would damage their relations with Turkey.

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St. Petersburg metro blast suspect likely born in central Asia

BISHKEK/ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - The main suspect in a blast in a St Petersburg train carriage that killed 14 people and wounded 50 is a Russian citizen originally from mainly Muslim Kyrgyzstan, authorities there said on Tuesday.

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Macron favorite, voter certainty rises in French election: Le Monde poll

PARIS (Reuters) - Centrist French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron and far-right rival Marine Le Pen are tied on 25 percent of the first-round election vote, although Macron would go on to beat Le Pen in the second round, a Le Monde/Cevipof opinion poll said.

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Suspected gas attack on Syria's rebel-held Idlib kills at least 35: Observatory

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A suspected gas attack by Syrian government or Russian jets killed at least 35 people, including nine children, in the northwestern province of Idlib on Tuesday, a British-based war monitoring group said.

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Likely suspect in St. Petersburg blast is Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen: Ifax

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The likely suspect in a deadly blast in the Russian city of St. Petersburg is a Kyrgyz-born Russian citizen, Interfax news agency cited Kyrgyzstan's security service as saying on Tuesday.

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Chinese wary about U.S. missile system because capabilities unknown: experts

HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) - China is steadfastly opposed to the deployment of advanced U.S. anti-missile radars in South Korea because it does not know whether the defenses, intended for North Korean missiles, are capable of tracking and countering Beijing's own nuclear program, experts say.

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Tillerson to chair U.N. meeting on North Korea nuclear program

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will chair a United Nations Security Council meeting on North Korea on April 28 to discuss how the body can combat Pyongyang's banned nuclear and missile programs, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said on Monday.

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'Not natural friends': Trump, Xi will be 'odd couple' at first summit

WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - When U.S. President Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, their summit will be marked not only by deep policy divisions but a clash of personalities between America’s brash “tweeter-in-chief” and Beijing’s cautious, calculating leader.

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Trump tells Sisi U.S., Egypt will fight Islamic militants together

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump moved to reset U.S. relations with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday after the prior Obama administration's strained ties, giving him firm backing and vowing to work together to fight Islamic militants.

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Colombia starts to bury 262 landslide victims, search continues

MOCOA, Colombia (Reuters) - Scores of decomposing cadavers were being released for burial on Monday as rescuers continued to search for victims of weekend flooding and landslides that devastated a city in southern Colombia, killing at least 262 people.

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Blasts in St. Petersburg metro stations kill 10: authorities

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - At least 10 people were killed in explosions in two train carriages at metro stations in St. Petersburg on Monday, Russian authorities said.

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Lithuania says Russia has ability to launch Baltic attack in 24 hours

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Russia has developed the capability to launch an attack on the Baltic states with as little as 24 hours' notice, limiting NATO's options to respond other than to have military forces already deployed in the region, Lithuania's intelligence service said on Monday.

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Somali pirates hijack Indian commercial ship

BOSASSO, Somalia (Reuters) - Pirates have hijacked an Indian commercial ship off the coast of Somalia, the second attack in weeks after years of inactivity by pirates, industry and security sources said on Monday.

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Ecuador leftist claims victory, conservative demands recount

QUITO (Reuters) - Leftist government candidate Lenin Moreno claimed victory in Ecuador's presidential vote on Sunday, bucking a shift to the right in South America, but the conservative challenger asked for a recount as some supporters took to the streets in protest.

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Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner visits Iraq: U.S. official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, is visiting Iraq with Marine General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, a senior Trump administration official said on Sunday.

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Venezuela opposition turns ire on Supreme Court judges

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition lawmakers said on Sunday they will push for the removal of Supreme Court judges whom they accuse of acting on behalf of the ruling Socialists after the top tribunal briefly assumed control of congress last week.

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Trump: 'Totally' possible for U.S. to address North Korea threat alone - FT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is prepared to respond to North Korean nuclear threats on its own if China fails to pressure Pyongyang, President Donald Trump said in an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday.

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Merkel says migrants must respect tolerance, German laws

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel said refugees in Germany must respect tolerance, openness and freedom of religion, while senior members of her party called for a ban on foreign funding of mosques.

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Euro is a 'knife in the ribs' of the French says Le Pen

PARIS/BORDEAUX (Reuters) - French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen told a political rally on Sunday that the euro currency which she wants France to ditch was like a knife in the ribs of the French people.

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Frantic rescuers dig for Colombia flood victims, 254 dead

MOCOA, Colombia (Reuters) - Families and rescuers searched desperately on Sunday through mud-plastered rubble for victims of flooding and landslides that killed 254 people, injured hundreds and devastated entire neighborhoods.

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French polling watchdog warns over Russian news agency's election report

PARIS (Reuters) - France's polling commission has issued a warning over a Russian news report suggesting conservative candidate Francois Fillon leads the race for the presidency - something which contradicts the findings of mainstream opinion pollsters.

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Moscow police detains up to 30 anti-corruption protesters

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Police in Moscow detained more than 20 anti-corruption protesters who took to the streets on Sunday in a follow-up of last week's large-scale demonstrations in the Russian capital, according to a Reuters witness.

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Suu Kyi's party wins nearly half of Myanmar by-elections

YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party won nearly half of the seats contested in by-elections on Sunday, the first vote since it swept to power a year ago and an early indication of support for her administration amid increased fighting with ethnic armed groups and slower economic growth.

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After historic week, Brexit dawns a shade warmer

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The week Britain filed for divorce from the European Union brought relief in London and Brussels that crockery was not smashed - far from it - but negotiators fear tantrums or even a breakdown once talks start.

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Twenty tortured, then murdered in Pakistan Sufi shrine: police

LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) - Twenty people were tortured and then murdered with clubs and knives at a Pakistani Sufi shrine, the police said on Sunday, in an attack purportedly carried out by the shrine's custodian and several accomplices.

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Third body found in aftermath of damaging Australian cyclone

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian authorities on Sunday said they found a third body in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie and accompanying floods that swamped the country's east coast, as receding waters start revealing the human and economic cost of the storm.

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Jets hit Syrian rebel outpost near Turkish border: rebels

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jets believed to be Russian hit an outpost run by moderate rebel forces in northwestern Syria near a major border crossing with Turkey, killing at least one fighter and wounding several people, two rebel sources said on Sunday.

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China reports six new bird flu cases, one death

BEIJING (Reuters) - China reported six new cases of H7N9 bird flu including one death in Hunan after live poultry markets in the province were shuttered last month.

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Venezuela crisis casts shadow over Ecuador presidential election

QUITO (Reuters) - Venezuela's political crisis is looming over Sunday's tight presidential election in Ecuador, where a leftist government aligned with Venezuela's socialist President Nicolas Maduro is hoping to prolong its decade-long rule.

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Colombia landslide kills 154 on city outskirts, scores injured

BOGOTA (Reuters) - A landslide in Colombia's southwestern border province of Putumayo sent mud and debris crashing onto houses overnight, killing at least 154 people and injuring scores, officials said on Saturday.

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Protester dies during clashes over Paraguay re-election

ASUNCION (Reuters) - A protester was killed in Paraguay after a secret Senate vote for a constitutional amendment that would allow President Horacio Cartes to run for re-election sparked violent clashes and the country's Congress was stormed and set alight.

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Iraqi state-run TV says Islamic State's second-in-command has been killed

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Ayad al-Jumaili, the man believed to be the deputy of Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has been killed, Iraqi State TV said on Saturday, citing Iraq's military intelligence.

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