Taliban reject Afghan ceasefire, kidnap nearly 200 bus passengers
(This August 20 story corrects paragraph 11 to say Taliban commander is based in Afghanistan and not Pakistan.)
Islamic State claims attacks on police targets in Russia’s Chechnya
Militants in the Russian region of Chechnya staged a series of attacks on police targets on Monday, the leader of the region and law enforcement officials said, and Islamic State claimed responsibility, without providing evidence.
Thousands of Brazilian soldiers swarm Rio slums in anti-drug war
Thousands of Brazilian soldiers swept into slums in northern Rio de Janeiro on Monday, the army said, targeting drug gangs in violent shootouts that killed at least eight people and trapped terrified local residents in their homes.
Talks with India the way forward, says Pakistan’s new foreign minister
Dialogue is the only way forward for ties between Pakistan and India, the foreign minister in Islamabad said on Monday, fuelling hopes of a thaw in relations between the arch-foes following Imran Khan’s July election victory.
Brazilian border state asks supreme court to halt entry of Venezuelans
The government of the northern Brazilian state of Roraima on Monday asked the country’s supreme court to halt the entry of Venezuelan immigrants, as the border state struggles to cope with a flow that has already sparked violent confrontations.
Brazil poll shows jailed Lula extending lead for October election
Jailed former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has increased his support by 5 percentage points and would win Brazil’s October presidential election if he was allowed to run, a poll by CNT/MDA showed on Monday.
Erdogan invokes patriotism, Islam as lira remains under pressure
President Tayyip Erdogan appealed to Turks’ religious and patriotic feelings ahead of a major Muslim holiday on Monday, promising they would not be brought “to their knees” by an economic crisis that has battered the lira currency.
Pakistan to ban jailed ex-PM Sharif from traveling abroad
Pakistan will bar jailed former leader Nawaz Sharif from traveling abroad, the government said on Monday, in one of the first decisions taken by new Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet.
Pope vows no more cover ups on sexual abuse in letter to Catholics
Pope Francis, facing sexual abuse crises in several countries, wrote an unprecedented letter to all Catholics on Monday, asking each one of them to help root out “this culture of death” and vowing there would be no more cover ups.
Trump has responsibility towards media, U.N. rights boss says
The U.N. rights chief said on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump bears “a heavy responsibility” for how the media is portrayed and that his remarks could have a knock-on effect that could hurt journalists in other countries.
