Nobel prize winner Tokarczuk calls for democracy revival in Poland
Polish author Olga Tokarczuk, who on Thursday was named the 2018 winner of the Nobel literature prize, said that Poland’s general election on Sunday presents a chance for improving democracy in the country.
Israel uneasy over Trump’s refusal to stand by Kurds
U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to stand aside as Turkey sends troops into Syria and fights Kurds allied with Washington has some Israelis wondering whether they too might eventually pay a price for his impatience with Middle East engagements.
Migrant protesters occupy U.S.-Mexico border bridge, close crossing
U.S. asylum seekers camped out in a dangerous Mexican border town occupied a bridge to Brownsville, Texas on Thursday, leading to the closure of the crossing, witnesses and authorities said.
Turkish offensive will not go beyond 30 km into Syria: foreign minister
Turkey’s incursion will not go further than 30 km into northeast Syria, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday, as Turkish forces pressed on against Kurdish fighters in the second day of the operation.
Sri Lanka housing minister vows to tap wartime army chief if elected president
Sri Lanka’s presidential frontrunner housing minister Sajith Premadasa launched his campaign on Thursday, promising to appoint a wartime army chief as head of national security should he win the Nov. 16 presidency in a nation still reeling from Easter Sunday Islamist attacks.
Syrian Kurdish official warns of Islamic State jail break
A senior Kurdish official warned on Thursday that Islamic State jihadists could break out of prisons in northeast Syria as fighting intensifies between Kurdish-led forces and Turkey.
Thousands flee, dozens reported killed as Turkey pushes Syria assault
Turkey pounded Kurdish militia in northeast Syria for a second day on Thursday, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee and killing dozens, in a cross-border assault on U.S. allies that has turned the Washington establishment against Donald Trump.
Factbox: Global firms take action after China criticism over Hong Kong protests
Global companies and brands are walking a tightrope in China as they weigh the risks of angering consumers in the world’s most populous country over protests in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong says not trying to stop protests, just violence
Hong Kong’s embattled government, which has enacted colonial-era emergency powers, said on Thursday it would not take any further measures to counter violent protests and rejected rumors that mainland Chinese security forces were involved in the city.
Turkish police investigate Kurdish leaders, fire water cannon at protesters
Turkish police launched criminal investigations of Kurdish lawmakers and detained dozens of people for using social media to question the military’s cross border incursion into Syria, in a crackdown against those who criticized the assault.
