Crucial week for under-fire Australian PM after ‘catastrophic’ poll
PERTH, Australia (Reuters) – Australia’s conservative Prime Minister Tony Abbott came under renewed leadership pressure on Sunday, a little over a year into office following a voter backlash in a state poll and a slump in his personal approval rating.
China’s Tibet to reward tips on ‘terror attacks’
BEIJING (Reuters) – Authorities in China’s Tibet will offer rewards up to 300,000 yuan ($48,000) for tips on “violent terror attacks”, state media reported, in an effort to “promote stability” in the region beset by ethnic tensions.
In red heartlands, Thai army keeps a lid on dissent
KHON KAEN, Thailand (Reuters) – In the northeastern Thai city of Khon Kaen, Pongpit Onlamai, a prominent anti-junta “red shirt” member, points to a man seated in the corner of the cafe fidgeting with his phone.
Islamic State says it has beheaded second Japanese hostage Goto
BEIRUT/TOKYO (Reuters) – Islamic State militants said on Saturday they had beheaded a second Japanese hostage, journalist Kenji Goto, after the failure of international efforts to secure his release through a prisoner swap.
Chad army says kills 120 Boko Haram militants in Cameroon
N’DJAMENA (Reuters) – Chadian forces have killed 120 militants from Boko Haram in a battle in the north of neighbouring Cameroon that began when the insurgents attacked its troops, the army said in a statement on Saturday, adding that three of its sold…
Ukraine peace talks collapse, Kiev and separatists trade blame
MINSK/KIEV (Reuters) – Peace talks on Ukraine collapsed on Saturday after just over four hours with no tangible progress towards a new ceasefire but with Ukraine’s representative and separatist envoys angrily accusing each other of sabotaging the meeti…
Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian in the West Bank
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian on Saturday in the occupied West Bank, the military and a Palestinian security official said.
Suspected U.S. drone strike kills al Qaeda militants in Yemen
ADEN (Reuters) – A suspected U.S. drone strike on a car in Yemen killed three men believed to be al Qaeda militants on Saturday and possibly another drone crashed in a different part of the country, residents said.
Exclusive: FBI says it had no prior knowledge of deadly Philippine raid targeting militants
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The FBI had no prior knowledge of a police raid in the Philippines last Sunday to arrest wanted militants that went awry and left 44 police dead, an FBI spokesman told Reuters on Saturday.
U.S. general says Syrian town of Kobani taken from Islamic State
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Kurdish ground forces, helped by U.S. and allied air support, have retaken the Syrian town of Kobani from Islamic State militants, U.S. Lieutenant-General James Terry said on Saturday.
