World
ReutersGhost soldiers: the Russians secretly dying for the Kremlin in SyriaBy Maria Tsvetkova and Anton Zverev TOGLIATTI, Russia (Reuters) - The start of this year proved deadly for one unit of about 100 Russian fighters supporting President Bashar al-Assad's troops in northern Syria. On Feb. 3, 38-year-old Maxim Kolganov was killed in a firefight with rebels near Aleppo
- ReutersSouth Korean PM nominee says president can be subject to investigation
South Korea's new prime minister nominee said on Thursday it is his view that the country's president can be subject to prosecutors' ongoing investigation into an influence peddling scandal. No sitting South Korean president has been subject to an investigation by prosecutors. Some opposition
ReutersBritain could still change its mind over EU divorce, says man who drafted Article 50Britain could still change its mind about Brexit after triggering its formal divorce talks with the European Union, the man who drafted Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty told the BBC. Prime Minister Theresa May has said she will invoke Article 50 by the end of March, kicking off two years of divorce negotiations
- Christian Science MonitorMarijuana ballot initiatives: billionaire's tool or direct democracy?
Marijuana decriminalization will be put to a “yes” or “no” vote in ballot initiatives in nine states on Nov. 8, with five of those states deciding whether to legalize its cultivation and consumption for recreational purposes. Legalization stands a good chance of passing in at least four states, with
- Christian Science MonitorThe measure of civic virtues in a lost letter
Researchers around the world keep trying new ways to measure how much people care for others in their community, or what’s called civic engagement. Perhaps more cites and towns should drop a few letters on the street to see how many are delivered.
- Christian Science MonitorBlack turnout: Can Obama help with early voting?
Hillary Clinton has set her sights on wooing African-American and Hispanic voters in the last push before the presidential election on Nov. 8. This past week, she has spent time in a black church and a Caribbean-American neighborhood, and hosted a concert with Latin singers Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony
- Christian Science MonitorAmazon turns stories into chat strings. Will it help kids read?
On Wednesday, Amazon released an app for children. Called "Rapids," it presents hundreds of children’s stories from various genres in the form of illustrated text message dialogue between characters. In developing the app, Amazon wanted to get children ages 7 to 12 engaged in the reading
AFPUK parliament must hold vote on starting Brexit: High CourtLondon (AFP) - The High Court in London on Thursday ruled that parliament, not the government, must approve the start of Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, in a landmark decision that could delay Brexit.
ReutersSyria's U.S.-backed SDF says no to Turkish role in Raqqa operationThe U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance of Kurdish and Arab armed groups said on Thursday it would reject Turkish involvement in the operation to drive Islamic State from its Syrian capital Raqqa. U.S. officials have said they hope to start an offensive against Islamic State in Raqqa
AFPCurses foiled: Cubs manager says fans' burden liftedCleveland (AFP) - At long last, for the first time since 1908, the Chicago Cubs are World Series champions.
- Associated PressTop Asian News 9:58 a.m. GMT
SHANGHAI (AP) — Seizures of the deadly chemical carfentanil have exploded across the United States, with more than 400 cases documented in eight states since July alone, The Associated Press has found. Fueled by a thriving trade out of China, the weapons-grade chemical is suspected in hundreds of drug
ReutersSamsung Electronics reviewing ways to limit Note 7 environment impactSamsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Thursday it was reviewing options to limit the potential environmental impact from the firm's discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones. The remarks come after environmental group Greenpeace issued a statement earlier this week demanding the world's
Associated PressPutin gives Russian citizenship to action film actor SeagalMOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded Russian citizenship to action film actor Steven Seagal.
ReutersWestern Sahara standoff fuels tensions, diplomatic scrambleBy Patrick Markey TIFARITI, Western Sahara (Reuters) - At a rocky outpost in Western Sahara, a new generation of soldiers who have never known war are mobilizing as tensions resurface in one of Africa's oldest disputes after a quarter century of uneasy peace. Young Sahrawi troops man new desert
- Associated PressNATO says 2 US service members killed in Afghanistan
Two U.S. service members were killed on Thursday battling Taliban insurgents in northern Afghanistan alongside local troops, NATO said, rare combat deaths for American forces who largely handed over securing ...
AFPIdentifying migrant deaths in Arizona desertThe items may seem meaningless, but for Robin Reineke, they hold precious clues to the identity of the migrants who carried them and whose remains are regularly found in Arizona's harsh Sonoran Desert. The 34-year-old cultural anthropologist who runs the Colibri Center for Human Rights in Tucson
- ReutersSouth African opposition calls November 10 Zuma no-confidence vote
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa's parliament will debate a motion of no confidence against President Jacob Zuma on Nov. 10 following a report by the anti-graft watchdog over allegations of influence-peddling, opposition leader Mmusi Maimane said on Thursday. The report stopped short of conclusive
Associated PressAmid scandal, South African leader visits Zimbabwe's MugabeJOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African President Jacob Zuma has traveled to neighboring Zimbabwe following the release of a state watchdog report indicating possible South African government corruption linked to him and some associates.
- ReutersPolice beat Kenyan anti-graft protesters, fire tear gas: witness
By Katharine Houreld NAIROBI (Reuters) - Police beat anti-corruption protesters with batons and fired volleys of tear gas to disperse them in Kenya's capital on Thursday, Reuters witnesses said. The Health Ministry dismissed the charges. The government of President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is expected
- Associated PressUK court: Gov't can't trigger EU exit without Parliament
In a major blow for Britain's government, the High Court says the prime minister can't trigger the U.K.'s exit from the European Union without approval from Parliament. The government is likely to appeal ...
- ReutersHeavy explosions shake east Mosul after Baghdadi speech
Heavy explosions shook eastern districts of the Islamic State-held city of Mosul early on Thursday, residents reported, shortly after the leader of the militant group tried to rally his followers against a U.S.-backed Iraqi military offensive. One resident in the east of the city, where Iraqi troops
- Associated PressGreek pensioners rally, strike planned against new cuts
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Pensioners are staging an anti-government rally in Greece to protest a new round of cuts introduced under the country's international bailout program.
- ReutersBritain's gaffe-prone Boris Johnson hits an iceberg
Britain's gaffe-prone foreign minister Boris Johnson seemed to compare Britain's exit from the European Union to the 1912 sinking of the ill-fated Titanic cruise liner, saying Brexit would be a "titanic success". Johnson, who is known in Britain and beyond for his often-outlandish
Associated PressThe Latest: Iraqi forces in Mosul fight face suicide bombersBAGHDAD (AP) — The Latest on the offensive by Iraqi forces and their allies to recapture the city of Mosul from the Islamic State group (all times local):
ReutersNorth Korea names new ambassador to Britain after high-level defectionNorth Korea on Thursday said it had appointed a new ambassador to the United Kingdom, more than two months after the embassy's number-two diplomat defected to South Korea, in an embarrassing blow for the regime of leader Kim Jong Un. The North's official KCNA news agency said the new ambassador
