English

Mr. Obama on Tuesday announced that he would leave 9,800 American troops in Afghanistan until at least the end of the year. The announcement came after a daylong White House meeting with President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan.

CIA chief Brennan noted that -- even though IS has been weakened in Syria and Iraq -- the group's reach is extending beyond Iraq and Syria and that it will take a combined and extended international effort over the next decade to repel the threat.

The purchase marks first time the Kenya has ordered arms from Serbia, formerly part of Yugoslavia, away from its long-time source markets of Spain, Germany, Jordan and Russia — which has emerged as the major supplier of arms for neighbouring East African nations. Kenya trails Tanzania and Uganda, which have been on a spending spree in the arms market in terms of the value of their consignments.

Until recently, Central Asia played only a modest role in world politics, a reflection of its economic weakness, domestic problems, and distrust of integration. Russia’s presence in the region as the primary political mediator and economic partner was incontestable. In the last few years, though, China’s growing economic interest in Central Asia has come to be seen in Moscow as a threat to its influence.