Reuters World News Summary

09/12/2016 8:57

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

In Yemen's remote mountains, war - and progress - remain distant

In villages perched high on a mountain in western Yemen, residents are a safe distance from a conflict raging through most of the country, but they endure a hardscrabble existence little changed from hundreds of years ago. Long used to a livelihood without electricity or running water, they have felt little impact from the 18 months of civil war which have cut those essential services to many of Yemen's 28 million people.

Duterte says he wants U.S. special forces out of southern Philippines

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday called for the withdrawal of U.S. military from a restive southern island, fearing an American troop presence could complicate offensives against Islamist militants notorious for beheading Westerners. Duterte, who was in the spotlight last week over his televised tirade against the United States and President Barack Obama, said special forces now training Filipino troops were high-value targets for the Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf as counter-insurgency operations intensify.

Syria ceasefire approaches with Assad emboldened, opposition wary

An emboldened President Bashar al-Assad vowed on Monday to take back all of Syria, hours before the start of a ceasefire brokered by the United States and Russia, which Assad's opponents described as stacked in his favor. In a gesture loaded with symbolism, state television showed Assad visiting Daraya, a Damascus suburb long held by rebels but recaptured last month after fighters there surrendered in the face of a crushing siege. The Syrian leader performed Muslim holiday prayers alongside other officials in a bare hall in a Daraya mosque.

Protests over river water dispute turn violent in Indian IT hub

India's technology hub of Bengaluru deployed riot police and banned public gatherings on Monday to rein in protests as a water dispute turned violent, with cars and buses set on fire and people pelted with stones. Television footage showed flames pouring from burnt-out vehicles as angry crowds gathered nearby, while police said the local metro network had been temporarily suspended.

With eye on West, Belarus holds slightly freer election

Lawmakers loyal to hardline Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko retained power in an election on Sunday, but the opposition's win of a seat for the first time in 20 years could help the ex-Soviet nation further improve ties with the West. The opposition, which has not been represented in the 110-seat parliament since 1996, had not been expected to gain any seats, but in a concession to Western calls for greater transparency its candidates were able to register more easily. External monitors were also given access to the vote count.

North Korea ready for another nuclear test any time: South Korea

North Korea is ready to conduct an additional nuclear test at any time, South Korea's Defense Ministry said on Monday, three days after the reclusive North's fifth test drew widespread condemnation. Pyongyang set off its most powerful nuclear blast to date on Friday, saying it had mastered the ability to mount a warhead on a ballistic missile and ratcheting up a threat that its rivals and the United Nations have been powerless to contain.

South Africa's Zuma repays some state money in home improvement scandal

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has taken out a home loan to repay state money spent on non-security upgrades to his private residence, his office said on Monday, after a scandal over lavish improvements including a swimming pool and amphitheater. In a stinging rebuke that hit Zuma financially and politically, the Constitutional Court ordered him in March to return some of the $16 million spent on enhancing his residence at Nkandla in the KwaZulu-Natal province.

Turkey removes two dozen elected mayors in Kurdish militant crackdown

Turkey appointed new administrators in two dozen Kurdish-run municipalities on Sunday after removing their elected mayors over suspected links to militants, triggering pockets of protest in its volatile southeastern region bordering Syria and Iraq. Police fired water cannon and tear gas to disperse demonstrators outside local government buildings in Suruc on the Syrian border as new administrators took over, security sources said. There were smaller protests elsewhere in the town.

Gulf states condemn law letting 9/11 families sue Saudi Arabia

The Saudi-dominated Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Monday condemned a law passed by the United States Congress last week that would allow the families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks to sue the kingdom's government for damages. The head of the six-nation GCC said the law was "contrary to the foundations and principles of relations between states and the principle of sovereign immunity enjoyed by states," GCC Secretary General Abdullatif al-Zayani said in a statement.

Croatia coalition wrangling starts after conservative shock

Croatia was preparing for tense coalition talks on Monday after weekend elections put the conservatives unexpectedly ahead, but short of the seats needed to form a government. A surge in support for leftist populists saw the Social Democrats, who were widely expected to come out with the largest number of seats, lose ground in a poll where the turnout was a fifth lower than in the last one just 10 months ago.

09/12/2016 8:57