Afghanistan seethes at Taliban meetings it says held in Pakistan
KABUL (Reuters) – The new leader of the Taliban has met influential clerics seeking to heal a rift after the death of founder Mullah Omar, in the latest gathering to anger the Afghan government, which accuses Pakistan of allowing militants to meet on i…
Second group of U.S-trained Syrian rebels could be deployed ‘within weeks’
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A second group of rebel fighters trained in Turkey by the U.S.-led coalition could be deployed to Syria within weeks as part of a campaign to push Islamic State insurgents away from the border, diplomatic sources told Reuters on Fr…
Tens of thousands displaced by Boko Haram in two weeks in Chad
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Around 40,000 people have fled their homes in Chad in the past two weeks following attacks by Islamist militant group Boko Haram, according to an aid agency, as the insurgency stokes an escalating humanitarian cris…
Men jailed 19 years for ‘brazen’ attack on Hong Kong newspaper editor
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Two men who attacked a former chief editor of a widely respected Hong Kong newspaper with a meat cleaver were jailed on Friday for 19 years in a case that has raised concerns about press freedom in the Chinese-run city.
China says more than 10 countries to join unprecedented WW II military parade
BEIJING (Reuters) – Troops from at least 10 countries including Russia and Kazakhstan will join an unprecedented military parade in Beijing next month to commemorate China’s victory over Japan during World War Two, Chinese officials said.
China expels brother of former senior official from Communist Party over graft
BEIJING (Reuters) – The brother of a former top Chinese presidential aide has been expelled from the ruling Communist Party and public office, the government said on Friday, paving the way for his prosecution for violations such as accepting bribes.
‘Minute of silence’ for Europe’s refugees tops Austrian iTunes chart
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – A minute’s silence recorded by an Austrian artist to protest against the treatment of migrants in Europe and raise money for refugees in a center near Vienna has topped the country’s iTunes chart, despite only bein…
MH370 debris exposes divisions over air crash investigations
PARIS (Reuters) – Air crash investigators risk being sidelined in a tussle to unlock the secrets of lost flight MH370, fuelling concerns that their role in making flying safer could be diminished.
Turkey to hold snap election on Nov 1: Erdogan
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey will hold a snap election on November 1 and an interim government will be formed in the meantime, if necessary with members from outside parliament, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.
Macedonian police drive back refugee crowd on Greek border
GEVGELIJA, Macedonia (Reuters) – Macedonian police firing tear gas drove back crowds of migrants and refugees trying to enter from Greece on Friday, enforcing an emergency decree sealing the frontier to thousands of Syrians, Afghans and others trying t…
