ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT (AP) — Defense Secretary Mark Esper says that under current plans all U.S. troops leaving Syria will go to western Iraq and the military will continue to conduct operations against the Islamic State group to prevent its resurgence. Speaking to reporters traveling with him to the Middle East, Esper did […]

LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson grudgingly asked the European Union late Saturday to delay Brexit after the British Parliament postponed a decision on whether to back his divorce deal. But the defiant Johnson also made clear that he personally opposed delaying the U.K.’s exit, scheduled for Oct. 31. A law passed by Parliament […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is defending its get-tough approach to trade against widespread attacks from America’s trading partners while at the same time arguing that many countries must increase government spending to boost global growth. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said U.S. trade policies, which have included tariffs on billions of dollars of imports […]

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Parliament is set to vote Saturday on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s new deal with the European Union, a decisive moment in the prolonged bid to end the Brexit stalemate. Various scenarios may be put in motion by the vote. IF THE DEAL IS APPROVED IN PARLIAMENT A “yes” vote would mark […]

CULIACAN, Mexico (AP) — An intense gunfight with heavy weapons and burning vehicles blocking roads paralyzed the capital of Mexico’s Sinaloa state Thursday after security forces located one of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s sons who is wanted in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges. Mexican security secretary Alfonso Durazo said 30 members of the National […]

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — President Donald Trump framed the U.S.-brokered cease-fire deal with Turkey as “a great day for civilization” but its effect was largely to mitigate a foreign policy crisis widely seen to be of his own making. After hours of negotiation in Ankara, the two nations on Thursday agreed to a five-day cease-fire […]

WASHINGTON (JNS) — The United States has indicted a Turkish bank for allegedly evading U.S. sanctions on Iran after reportedly failing to reach a deal with the Trump administration to avoid charges. “Halkbank, a Turkish state-owned bank, allegedly conspired to undermine the United States Iran sanctions regime by illegally giving Iran access to billions of […]

LONDON (JTA) — A Jewish lawmaker in Britain who has been a member of the Labour Party for 55 years resigned from the party on Thursday over its anti-Semitism problem. Louise Ellman said party leader Jeremy Corbyn is “not fit” to become prime minister, BBC reported. She wrote in her resignation letter that she is […]

CEYLANPINAR, Turkey (AP) — The commander of Kurdish-led forces in Syria on Thursday said they will abide by a cease-fire agreement announced in Turkey by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. But his comments suggested a smaller “safe zone” than Ankara has demanded, underscoring the ambiguities in the American-Turkish deal. Mazloum Abdi, speaking on Kurdish Ronahi […]

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence says that Turkey has agreed to a cease-fire in Syria. Pence spoke after a high-level delegation of U.S. officials met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (REH’-jehp TY’-ihp UR’-doh-wahn) in Ankara, Turkey. Pence says there will “a pause in military operations for 120 hours” to allow the […]