Assad sends air force to prevent rebel advances in home province
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Warplanes bombed a village in Syria’s north overnight in an apparent effort by President Bashar al-Assad to prevent rebels fighting him from advancing on communities in the stronghold region of his Alawite sect.
Israeli troops kill unarmed Palestinian on Gaza border
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli troops killed a Palestinian who crossed in from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Saturday, fearing he was a security threat though he proved to be unarmed, military sources said.
Israel’s Netanyahu to undergo surgery, peace talks on track
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will undergo a hernia operation, his office said late on Saturday, a procedure that appeared unlikely to disrupt plans to advance peace talks with the Palestinians next week.
Brazilian president’s approval up slightly after protest slump
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s approval rating gained six percentage points since hitting an all-time low in late June after massive nationwide protests, a poll published on Saturday showed.
Clock ticks as Colombian peace talks drag on
HAVANA (Reuters) – The Colombian government and leftist FARC rebels wound up a 12th round of peace talks on Saturday but apparently made little progress despite pressure from the country’s president who has staked his legacy on a successful outcome bef…
Drone strike kills two in southern Yemen: officials and residents
ADEN (Reuters) – Local officials and residents in Yemen’s southern Lahj Province said a drone destroyed a vehicle travelling on a mountain road late on Saturday evening killing its two occupants and bringing to 15 the death toll from four strikes in th…
U.S. presses Sri Lanka to investigate army’s killing of protesters
COLOMBO (Reuters) – The United States urged Sri Lanka on Saturday to investigate the recent killing by soldiers of unarmed protesters who were demanding clean drinking water.
Netanyahu tells U.S. mediator Palestinians inciting against Israel
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel has complained to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry about statements by the Palestinians which it said undermined nascent peace talks, an Israeli official said on Saturday.
Sinai militants say target of Israeli drone, four killed
ISMAILIA, Egypt (Reuters) – Four Islamist militants in Egypt’s North Sinai were killed by an air strike that their comrades said on Saturday had been done by an Israeli drone but which state media said was the work of an Egyptian army helicopter.
Deposed Central African Republic president eyes return to power
PARIS (Reuters) – Deposed former Central African Republic (CAR) President Francois Bozize still nurtures ambitions of returning to power, he told French media, ending months of silence since he was ousted by rebel forces in March.
