Al Qaeda splinter group in Syria leaves two provinces: activists
BEIRUT (Reuters) – An al Qaeda splinter group in Syria finished pulling out of two provinces in the country’s northwest on Friday and headed to its eastern strongholds after months of clashes with rival rebels, activists said.
Morocco, Spain break up militant cell sending fighters abroad
RABAT (Reuters) – Morocco and Spain made seven arrests and dismantled an Islamist militant cell led by a Spanish citizen that sent fighters to “hotbeds of tension” such as Syria, officials from both countries said on Friday.
Austria holds Ukraine’s Firtash for extradition
VIENNA (Reuters) – An Austrian court ordered Ukrainian industrialist Dmytro Firtash held for possible extradition to the United States and set bail of 125 million euros ($174 million) on Friday, a court statement said.
Bomb on Lebanese border targets Israeli soldiers: military
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – An explosive device was detonated against Israeli soldiers patrolling the border with Lebanon on Friday, causing no injuries, Israel’s military said.
Rouhani has not stopped Iran suppressing human rights: U.N. envoy
GENEVA (Reuters) – President Hassan Rouhani has made only “baby steps” to improve human rights in Iran where forces loyal to the supreme leader are “working to suppress the rights of people,” a United Nations investigator said on Friday.
U.S. hopes Ukraine crisis won’t harm work with Russia on Iran
VIENNA (Reuters) – The United States hopes the escalating crisis in Ukraine will not undermine cooperation with Russia to curb Iran’s nuclear program, a senior U.S. administration official said on Friday.
As hope withers, Palestinian president heads to Washington
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – With pessimism growing by the day over the future of Middle East peace talks, U.S. President Barack Obama will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Washington on Monday to try to break the stalemate.
German Islamist charged over failed Bonn station attack in 2012
BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s federal prosecutor on Friday charged a 26-year-old German man, described as a radical Islamist, with planting a pipe bomb in Bonn train station in 2012 and intending to kill as many people as possible. The bomb did not expl…
Syria agrees greater access for aid supplies: UNICEF
ZAHLE, Lebanon (Reuters) – Syria’s government has promised greater access for aid groups supporting millions of Syrians, but faster progress is needed to tackle a dire humanitarian crisis, the head of the United Nations children’s agency said on Friday…
Islamist insurgents attack north Nigerian barracks
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) – Soldiers fought off Islamist insurgents who attempted to free captured comrades from a military barracks in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Friday, the military said.
