Afghan air strike against Islamic State kills 40: official
JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Afghan aircraft killed more than 40 fighters loyal to Islamic State in a raid in the eastern province of Nangarhar, officials said on Friday.
Ireland could have a government by next week: minister
DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland could have a government in place by next week, a senior minister from acting prime minister Enda Kenny’s party said on Friday after it made some progress towards breaking a prolonged political deadlock.
Muslim nations accuse Iran of supporting terrorism: summit communique
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Leaders from more than 50 Muslim nations accused Iran on Friday of supporting terrorism and interfering in the internal affairs of regional states including Syria and Yemen.
On ground in Syria, scant evidence of draw down trumpeted by Kremlin
MOSCOW (Reuters) – A month since Vladimir Putin announced the withdrawal of most Russian forces from Syria, his military contingent there is as strong as ever, with fewer jets but many more attack helicopters able to provide closer combat support to go…
Bets are off for stranded Hong Kong casino ship and forlorn crew
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Captain Valerie Lyzhyn and his 45 crew are stranded in Hong Kong, big losers in a gambling slump triggered by a Chinese crackdown on corruption that has scared off the high-rollers.
South African banks accused of ‘political stunt’ in ditching Zuma friends
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa’s ruling ANC Women’s League and main trade union federation (Cosatu) have accused banks of pulling a “political stunt” by cutting ties with a company whose owners are under scrutiny for having undue influence with …
North Korea’s failed missile launch prompts ‘saber-rattling’ jibe from China media
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea attempted and failed to launch what experts believe was an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Friday in defiance of U.N. sanctions and in an embarrassing setback for leader Kim Jong Un, drawing criticism from major al…
Al Qaeda re-emerges as challenge for U.S., NATO in Afghanistan
KABUL (Reuters) – Leadership turmoil within the Taliban since the death of the militant group’s founder has fueled closer links with foreign groups like al Qaeda, the new commander of international forces in Afghanistan said, complicating counter-terro…
U.S., allies stage 36 strikes against Islamic State: U.S. military
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States and its allies conducted 36 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Thursday, the coalition leading the operations said.
France vows crackdown after rolling protest clashes
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s interior minister on Friday ordered a crackdown on violent fringe demonstrators after they smashed shopfronts and cars on the edge of a bigger youth protest rally held overnight against labor law reforms.
