German government spokesman: Merkel and Putin may meet on sidelines of World Cup Final
BERLIN (Reuters) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel may hold brief talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin when both attend the soccer World Cup final in Brazil on Sunday, Merkel’s spokesman said on Friday.
Philippines arrests Australian over ties to militant group ISIS
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines on Friday arrested an Australian national with suspected links to foreign Islamist militants after he urged Philippine Muslims on social media sites to support conflicts in Iraq and Syria, recruiting them to go to the…
Gas explosion kills one, injures 30 in western Turkish city
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – A gas explosion killed one person and injured more than 30 on a busy square in the western Turkish city of Denizli early on Friday, the country’s disaster management agency said.
Britain ‘seriously concerned’ over Hong Kong press freedom
HONG KONG (Reuters) – A British government report on Hong Kong expresses “serious concerns” about press freedom and self-censorship in its former colony and about reports that leading British banks had pulled advertising from a local pro-democracy news…
China’s Xi to visit Greece on way to South America
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping will stop off in Greece on his way to South America next week, the government said on Friday, the second high-level visit to the southern European country in a month.
Ebola deaths surge in Sierra Leone and Liberia: WHO
GENEVA (Reuters) – Ebola continues to spread in Sierra Leone, Liberia and to a lesser extent in Guinea, with a combined 44 new cases and 21 deaths between July 6-8, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
Kerry hopes solution can be found to Afghanistan vote dispute
KABUL (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday he hoped to be able to find a solution to Afghanistan’s disputed election but cautioned “we can’t say that’s an automatic at this point”.
Russia likely to prolong asylum for fugitive Snowden: Interfax
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia will most probably extend former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden’s temporary asylum on the grounds that “his life is endangered”, an official close to the country’s Federal Migration Service (FMS) was quoted as say…
Attackers raid Kenya coast village, steal police guns
MOMBASA Kenya (Reuters) – Armed assailants attacked a village on Kenya’s coast, stole guns from police reservists and burnt down a primary school, an official said on Friday, in the latest in a series of raids since mid-June that have killed about 100 …
Philippines’ Aquino keeps budget chief amid corruption scandal
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Friday rejected a resignation offer from his budget secretary after the top court declared the government’s discretionary fund illegal in the biggest test yet for its battle against graft.