Sri Lanka’s defeated Rajapaksa to contest August 17 poll
COLOMBO (Reuters) – Sri Lanka’s war-time president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, has signed nomination papers to fight an Aug. 17 election as part of a coalition led by President Maithripala Sirisena, Rajapaksa’s spokesman said on Friday.
Russia’s Putin upbeat on Ukraine crisis solution
UFA, Russia (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that there were more chances for Ukraine crisis to be successfully resolved rather than for it to fail.
Iraq’s Shi’ite militias target Falluja in Anbar campaign
ERBIL, Iraq/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Iraqi Shi’ite militia fighters are tightening a noose around the Islamic State-held city of Falluja west of Baghdad as the first stage of a counter-offensive in the Sunni province of Anbar, likely to determine the cou…
World looks to Ethiopia to break deadlock over financing new development goals
NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Negotiators locked horns until 2 a.m. some nights in New York this past month, trying to agree on a way to finance the United Nation’s bold new global development agenda — without success.
Turkey detains 21 on suspicion of belonging to Islamic State
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish police launched raids across the country on Friday, detaining 21 people, most suspected of belonging to Islamic State, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
Pipeline blast in Nigeria kills 12 people at repair site
YENAGOA, Nigeria (Reuters) – An explosion at an Eni pipeline in Nigeria killed at least 12 people and injured three others, the Italian oil major said in a statement on Friday.
France jails group chief after raids uncover Jewish targets
PARIS (Reuters) – The leader of a banned French group was sentenced to nine years in jail on Friday on terrorism charges after police raids found weapons and a list of Jewish targets in his personal files.
Tunisian security forces kill five militants in mountain region: source
TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisian security forces have killed five Islamist militants in clashes in the mountains near the central town of Gafsa, and military helicopters were pursuing more in the area, a security source said on Friday.
Syria says Islamic State bomb set fire to government HQ in north
BEIRUT (Reuters) – A mortar round fired by Islamic State militants caused a major blaze at a Syrian government headquarters building in the northeastern city of Hasaka and firefighters had put it out, state television said on Friday.
China anti-graft chief calls for stricter punishments: Xinhua
BEIJING (Reuters) – The chief of China’s anti-graft watchdog called for more severe punishments and stronger discipline for ruling Communist Party members, state media reported on Friday, as President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive enters its third…
