Kurdish YPG says ‘major operation’ on Syria’s Raqqa to start in days
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A U.S.-backed operation by Syrian forces to capture Islamic State’s Syrian “capital” of Raqqa will start in the next “few days”, the spokesman for the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia said on Saturday.
Syrian army advance helps secure Aleppo road
BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian army said on Saturday it had seized mountainous territory from Islamic State to the east of the road linking Damascus to Aleppo, helping to secure a critical lifeline for the government that has often come under IS attack….
Seizing of Philippines city by Islamist militants a wake-up call for Southeast Asia
MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Reuters) – At the beginning of the battle that has raged for the past 12 days in Marawi City at the southern end of the Philippines, dozens of Islamist militants stormed its prison, overwhelming the guards.
German rock concert to resume after terrorism alert: organizers
BERLIN (Reuters) – An open-air weekend “Rock am Ring” concert near Germany’s Nuerburgring race track will resume on Saturday after being suspended on Friday due to a possible terrorist threat, the organizers said.
Astana to host next round of Syria peace talks on June 12-13: RIA
MOSCOW (Reuters) – The next round of Syria peace talks will be held in the Kazakh capital of Astana on June 12-13, RIA news agency quoted the Syrian ambassador to Moscow as saying on Saturday.
U.S. investigators helping Qatar probe alleged agency website hacking
DOHA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. investigators are in Qatar to help Doha probe the alleged hacking of the Gulf Arab state’s news agency website, a Qatari and a U.S. law enforcement official said, after an attack that had soured ties between Western-all…
Putin leaves Russians guessing on economic reform plan
ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) – Russia’s leading economic thinkers say the country needs bold action to avoid stagnation. After President Vladimir Putin set out his ideas for the economy in a keynote speech on Friday, they are still waiting to hear w…
U.S. hackers could have framed Russia in election hack: Putin tells NBC
MOSCOW (Reuters) – American hackers could have planted false evidence that Russia interfered in the U.S. presidential election, President Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying by NBC News on Saturday.
UK police make new arrest over Manchester attack, 11 in custody
LONDON (Reuters) – British police said on Saturday that they had made a further arrest in connection with last month’s suicide bombing on a concert in Manchester which killed 22 people.
Top Philippine lawmaker labels casino attack a ‘terrorist’ act
MANILA (Reuters) – A gunman who stormed and torched a Manila casino, killing 36 people, was a “lone wolf” terrorist, a top Philippines lawmaker said on Saturday, contradicting the police’s assertion that the man had merely wanted to steal gambling chip…
