Syria’s Nusra Front says ending al Qaeda ties; U.S. fears for Aleppo
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Al Qaeda’s powerful Syrian branch, the Nusra Front, announced on Thursday it was ending its relationship with the global jihadist network founded by Osama bin Laden, to remove a pretext used by world powers to attack Syrians.
France detains Syrian refugee as church attack investigation widens
PARIS (Reuters) – French police have detained a Syrian asylum seeker in connection with the Normandy church attack, two sources said on Friday, as security services widened their investigation into the killing of an elderly priest at the altar by two w…
Spain’s Rajoy to start government talks with other parties on Friday
MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s conservative acting prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, will call the heads of the Socialist Party and the liberal Ciudadanos on Friday, to seek their support to form a government.
Singaporean detained for ‘terrorism-related activities’
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – A Singaporean man has been detained for “terrorism-related activities” that included supporting the Islamic State (IS) militant group and encouraging violence through Facebook posts, the government said on Friday.
Tibetan monk who died was tortured, says niece who fled China
DHARAMSALA, India (Reuters) – The niece of a leading Buddhist monk who died in a Chinese jail has fled to India to tell the world she suspects he was a victim of torture, and disbelieves the official version that he died of a heart attack.
France had been hunting second church attacker after tip-off
PARIS/SAINT-ETIENNE-DU-ROUVRAY, France (Reuters) – Police had been hunting the second teenager who killed a priest in a church in France this week after a foreign intelligence tip-off that a suspected jihadist might be preparing an attack, police and j…
Erdogan wants army under president’s control after coup: Turkish official
ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan wants the armed forces and national intelligence agency brought under the control of the presidency, a parliamentary official said on Thursday, part of a major overhaul of the military after …
Libya government in talks to reopen Ras Lanuf oil port: official
BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) – Libyan government officials were in talks with brigades holding the Ras Lanuf oil port, one of two major oil terminals shut down since December 2014, to reach a deal to reopen exports, officials said.
U.S. military prepares for biggest Okinawa land return since 1972
TOKYO (Reuters) – The United States military said on Friday it was preparing for the biggest land return in Okinawa since 1972, as it faces a surge in opposition to its presence following the arrest of one its civilian contractors for the murder of a l…
Wing part found in Tanzania is ‘highly likely’ from MH370: Australia minister
SYDNEY (Reuters) – An aircraft wing part found in Tanzania is “highly likely” to be part of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, an Australian government minister said on Friday, in what would be the second confirmed piece of the jetliner.
