Islamic State takes Syrian town as fighting looks set to intensify
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Islamic State fighters drove Syrian government forces from a western town on Sunday, a monitoring group reported, as fighting escalated despite a flurry of diplomatic activity and talks between regional rivals.
Thousands march in Niger to denounce vote preparations
NIAMEY (Reuters) – Thousands of anti-government protesters marched in Niger’s capital on Sunday to denounce what they say are irregularities in voter lists ahead of presidential elections in early 2016.
Fate of slain Palestinians fuels new feud with Israeli authorities
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel is refusing to return the bodies of Palestinians killed during a month-old surge of violence unless the Palestinian side agrees to keep their funerals “modest”, the Israeli defense minister said on Sunday.
Pakistani PM’s party wins majority in local government polls
LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) – Pakistan’s ruling party has won a majority of seats in local elections, according to unofficial results released on Sunday, dashing opposition hopes of making gains in Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Punjab power base.
Arrest of Ukraine oligarch’s ally politically motivated: lawyer
KIEV (Reuters) – The arrest in Ukraine of a close associate of the influential business tycoon Ihor Kolomoisky on suspicion of embezzlement is politically motivated, his lawyer said on Sunday.
Azeri ruling party claims victory in parliamentary election
BAKU (Reuters) – Azeri President Ilham Aliyev’s ruling Yeni Azerbaijan (New Azerbaijan) claimed victory in a parliamentary election on Sunday that mainstream opposition and international monitors were shunning.
Newcomer Ciudadanos runs close second in Spanish opinion poll
MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish newcomer party Ciudadanos would come a close second to the ruling People’s Party, and would probably be the main kingmaker, if a national election due in December was held now, an opinion poll showed on Sunday.
Colombia’s FARC rebels say unilateral ceasefire may be at risk
BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s FARC rebel group said its 3-month-old unilateral ceasefire, declared amid peace talks with the government to end 51 years of war, may be at risk because of a rise in military actions against its fighters.
Trial of Gaddafi son adjourned to December
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – The son of deposed Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi appeared in a Tripoli court on Sunday to face charges of murdering a football player and other crimes before the 2011 revolution that ended his father’s rule.
Libya accuses Italian navy of violating waters
TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libya’s elected government has accused the Italian navy of violating the country’s territorial waters after authorities said they spotted three Italian warships off the eastern coast, but Italy’s government on Sunday dismissed the c…
