Assad says Turkish support ‘main factor’ in Idlib takeover
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said Turkish support was the main factor that helped insurgents to seize the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib from his government’s control last month.
Boko Haram militants kill at least 10 in north Cameroon: army
YAOUNDE (Reuters) – Fighters from Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram killed at least ten people in overnight attacks on two villages in neighboring northern Cameroon, two senior army sources told Reuters on Friday.
Images show rapid Chinese progress on new South China Sea airstrip
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Recent satellite images published on Thursday show China has made rapid progress in building an airstrip suitable for military use in contested territory in the South China Sea’s Spratly Islands and may be planning another, moves…
Turkish Airlines says plane lands safely in Istanbul after bomb threat
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A Turkish Airlines plane landed safely in Istanbul after being recalled due to a bomb threat while bound for Basel, a spokeswoman said, the latest in a series of such incidents that have forced the carrier to divert or recall fligh…
North Korea warns U.S. envoy of ‘bigger mishap’ than a knife attack
SEOUL (Reuters) – A North Korean propaganda unit said the U.S. ambassador to South Korea could face a “bigger mishap” than the knife attack to his face last month if he does not stop insulting North Korea with “laughable” accusations.
New Yemen VP says he hopes to avert Saudi invasion
RIYADH/ADEN (Reuters) – Yemen’s newly-appointed Vice President Khaled Bahah, a widely respected figure named this week to shore up the legitimacy of the exiled Saudi-backed government, said on Thursday he hoped to avert a Saudi-led invasion to restore …
Japan’s Abe, Okinawa governor clash over U.S. base before U.S.-Japan summit
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the governor of the southern island of Okinawa clashed on Friday over the relocation of a contentious U.S. air base, an irritant in U.S.-Japan ties, a week before Abe’s high-profile visit to the …
Pope Francis may visit Cuba during U.S. trip, Vatican says
ROME (Reuters) – Pope Francis may include Cuba on the itinerary of his visit to the United States in September, the Vatican said on Friday, adding that discussions with Cuban authorities were still at an early stage.
China jails journalist for seven years for ‘leaking state secrets’
BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese court jailed a journalist accused of leaking an internal Communist Party document to a foreign website for seven years on Friday, her lawyer said, a ruling that reflects the sensitivity surrounding the party’s inner workin…
Thai PM hails progress, says he doesn’t want to stay in power
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha hailed the performance of his military government on Friday and said a much-criticized overhaul of the constitution was needed to pull Thailand out of years of political crisis.
