Lourenço, the quiet man leading Angola’s 38-year changing of guard
MALANJE, Angola (Reuters) – On a hot morning in August, João Lourenço, a man more used to army barracks and the closed doors of party politics, rose awkwardly to address thousands of rural supporters.
Erdogan tells Turks in Germany to vote against Merkel
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats were enemies of Turkey and called on Turks in Germany to vote against major parties in next month’s elections.
Syrian city’s rebel districts still in ruins years after Assad victory
HOMS, Syria (Reuters) – President Bashar al-Assad’s victory in Homs is still evident in the rubble of Baba Amr, a former symbol of the rebellion where five years later only a handful of people live among ruins.
Assad advisor says Syria war nearing its end
BEIRUT (Reuters) – An advisor to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said the six-year war is nearly over as foreign states cut backing for rebels, and vowed the government would confront any “illegitimate” forces, whether Turkish or American.
South Africa has granted Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity: source
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa has granted diplomatic immunity to Zimbabwe’s first lady, Grace Mugabe, allowing her to return to Harare and avoid prosecution for the alleged assault of a 20-year-old model, a security source said on Friday.
Afghan governor accused of assault, adding woes for Ghani
MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters) – A powerful Afghan governor is facing accusations he detained and assaulted a political rival in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif this week, the second senior Afghan official to be accused of violence in a year…
Australia’s citizenship crisis spreads, key Senator under a cloud
CANBERRA/SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s widening citizenship crisis entangled a seventh politician on Friday, a key independent senator whose support is critical for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to pass legislation through a hostile Senate.
Suspected al Shabaab attackers kill three in Kenya’s Lamu: official
MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) – Suspected members of Somalia’s al Shabaab Islamist group beheaded at least three men overnight in an attack on a Kenyan village, authorities said on Friday, a month after nine were killed in a similar way nearby.
South African court denies Gordhan protection in Gupta, bank dispute
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – A South African court denied on Friday an application by former finance minister Pravin Gordhan for an order that would block the ministry from any involvement in a dispute between banks and the Gupta family, businessmen accuse…
Six South Korean soldiers hurt, seventh dies in training session, army official says
SEOUL (Reuters) – An explosion during an artillery exercise on Friday injured six South Korean soldiers and killed a seventh, a South Korean army official told Reuters.
