Syrian Kurds evacuate city as battle with Assad forces intensifies
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian Kurdish authorities evacuated thousands of civilians from Kurdish areas of a city in northeastern Syria on Friday, the second day of government air strikes, a spokesman for the Kurdish YPG militia said.
Zambia opposition leader files court challenge to Lungu’s re-election
LUSAKA (Reuters) – Zambia’s main opposition leader filed a court petition on Friday challenging President Edgar Lungu’s re-election at the helm of Africa’s second-largest copper producer, saying the vote was rigged.
Four killed in Palestinian police arrest raid in West Bank
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Two Palestinian men sought for possession of weapons and other offences were killed in a gun battle with Palestinian police in an arrest raid in the town of Nablus in which two officers also died, officials said on Frida…
Islamic State pulls families out of towns in Syrian north
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Islamic State fighters have evacuated their families from a Syrian town at the Turkish border near a city that they recently lost to U.S.-backed militias, a monitor group said on Friday, a sign they may be preparing to face an attack…
Britain not to trigger EU divorce before end of year: Downing Street
LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Theresa May will not begin formal divorce talks on leaving the European Union before the end of the year, a government spokeswoman said on Friday.
Kalashnikov gunmaker opens store at Moscow’s largest airport
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Gunmaker Kalashnikov, whose AK-47 assault rifle has armed Russian forces for 70 years and been the preferred weapon of insurgents across continents, has opened a store at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport selling souvenirs including pla…
Turkey takes aim at bank inspectors and financing in latest purge
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish authorities detained dozens of bank inspectors and academics on Friday and the government vowed to cut off financing to companies suspected of having ties to last month’s failed coup.
German conservatives call for partial ban on face veil
BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives have agreed that women should be banned from wearing the face veil in schools and universities and while driving, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said on Friday.
Philippines’ Duterte rejects criticism over killings
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte rejected on Friday criticism from the United Nations about a surge in killings of suspected drug traffickers and denied government responsibility, his spokesman said.
Russia rehearses swiftly moving military hardware to Crimea
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian naval and land forces have practiced swiftly moving military hardware and troops to annexed Crimea as part of a logistics exercise which foreshadows much larger war games there next month, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
