Reuters World News Summary

08/12/2016 19:52

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

New suspect in French priest killing formally charged

A man under arrest since Monday as part of the investigation into the killing of a French priest last month has been placed under formal investigation, a police source told Reuters on Friday. The 21-year old suspect is under investigation for collaboration with terrorists and was planning attacks on people, the source said.

Changing Cuba pays homage to Fidel Castro ahead of 90th birthday

Cuba is awash with official tributes to former leader Fidel Castro ahead of his 90th birthday on Saturday, even as its people and leadership have begun to look beyond the legacy of the Communist-ruled state's founding figure. Dotted around Havana, flags read "Gracias, Fidel" and billboards cite his best-known phrases, while state media churns out stories about the man who toppled a U.S.-backed dictator in 1959 and went on to rule Cuba for nearly half a century.

U.S. general calls on Russia to allow observers at military drills

Russia should allow observers, including Western journalists, to attend upcoming military drills that could again put Ukraine on edge just as Russian President Vladimir Putin has sharpened his rhetoric, the commander of the U.S. Army in Europe told Reuters. The comments by Lieutenant General Ben Hodges came as Ukraine accuses Russia of amassing more than 40,000 troops in Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula seized by Moscow in 2014, and on the Ukrainian border.

Foiled attack puts spotlight on Canada PM's security revamp

The death of a Canadian supporter of Islamic State who authorities said was preparing an imminent attack has increased calls for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to abandon his plan to scale back a 2015 law that gave increased powers to police and intelligence agents. But those calls are unlikely to translate into widespread public resistance to changing the law, as long as the Liberal government can frame it as a change that protects civil rights, pollsters and political analysts said on Friday.

U.S.-backed forces wrest control of Syria's Manbij from Islamic State

U.S.-backed forces have seized full control of the northern Syrian city of Manbij near the Turkish border after the last remaining Islamic State fighters, who had been using civilians as human shields, left, a spokesman for the group said Friday. Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) were now sweeping the city after the departure of a last remaining group of militants who had been holed up in the city. They had freed over 2,000 civilian hostages who had been held by the militants, Sharfan Darwish of the SDF allied Manbij Military Council told Reuters.

Croatia candidates battle over tax cuts ahead of September polls

The top two contenders in Croatia's general election battled on Friday over who would be best placed to cut taxes and boost growth, in a televised debate that put the economy at the forefront of a ballot that might not end a political deadlock. Croatians vote on Sept. 11 for the second time in less than a year. Zagreb needs decisive reforms to fix its fragile public finances, improve the investment climate and spur growth and reduce public debt standing at 86 percent of GDP.

Colombia tax reform to go to Congress in October: president

A long-awaited tax reform will be presented to Colombia's congress in October, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Friday, and it will be approved before the end of the year. Santos' comment came amid growing uncertainty in the market and among business owners about whether there is still time to pass the reform, key to maintaining Colombia's credit ratings.

U.S. drone kills Islamic State leader for Afghanistan, Pakistan: officials

The leader of Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan was killed in a U.S. drone strike on July 26, a Pentagon spokesman said on Friday after the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan announced the news to Reuters. The death of Hafiz Saeed Khan is a blow to efforts by Islamic State - also known as ISIS or Daesh - to expand from its heartlands in Syria and Iraq into Afghanistan and Pakistan, already crowded with jihadist movements including the Taliban and al Qaeda.

Biden urges Ukraine president to avoid escalating tensions with Russia: White House

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke by phone on Friday with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and urged him "to do his part" to avoid escalating tensions with Russia, the White House said. Biden noted that the United States has urged the Russian side to do the same, the White House said in a statement. Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of trying to provoke a conflict over Crimea, which Moscow seized and annexed in 2014.

Russia deploys advanced S-400 air missile system to Crimea: agencies

Russia has deployed its advanced S-400 air defense missile system to annexed Crimea, Russian news agencies reported on Friday, citing a statement from the Russian Defence Ministry. The announcement comes two days after President Vladimir Putin promised to take counter-measures after what he said were clashes between Russian forces and Ukrainian saboteurs in northern Crimea.

08/12/2016 19:52