Reuters World News Summary

08/06/2016 8:56

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

China conducts 'combat patrols' over contested islands

China's air force sent bombers and fighter jets on "combat patrols" near contested islands in the South China Sea, in a move a senior colonel said was part of an effort to normalize such drills and respond to security threats. The exercises come at a time of heightened tension in the disputed waters after an arbitration court in The Hague ruled last month that China did not have historic rights to the South China Sea.

Voters condemn South African ruling party to worst election outcome

South Africa's ruling party was in a close race early on Saturday in two major cities after losing one other key municipality in its worst electoral performance since the end of apartheid. The African National Congress has ruled virtually unopposed since it ended white-minority rule in 1994 with Nelson Mandela at its helm. But its grip on power is being shaken against the backdrop of high unemployment, a stagnating economy and a series of scandals that have dogged President Jacob Zuma.

Kerry presses on with Russian talks on Syria despite Aleppo setbacks

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is still pursuing an agreement with Russia on military cooperation in the fight against Islamic State in Syria despite major setbacks and skepticism from other administration officials and U.S. allies, U.S. officials with knowledge of the talks said on Friday. "We believe this approach is still worth pursuing," State Department spokesman John Kirby said in an email response to Reuters questions, adding: "But it remains to be seen whether or not we can get there."Kerry has been pursuing a proposal that envisions resuscitating a Cessation of Hostilities agreement, creating a center where the two countries would share intelligence for targeting air strikes, and prohibiting the Syrian air force from attacking U.S.-backed rebel groups.

Yemen's Houthi-led bloc sets up governing council, peace talks wind down

Yemen's two dominant political movements on Saturday announced a 10-member governing council, pushing ahead with plans to run the country as U.N.-sponsored talks to end a 16-month-old war drew to a close without a deal. The announcement came as supporters of the internationally-recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition, launched a fresh offensive to try to capture the capital Sanaa from the Iran-allied Houthis.

As Turkey's coup strains ties with West, detente with Russia gathers pace

As Turkey's relations with Europe and the United States are strained by the fallout from its failed coup, President Tayyip Erdogan travels to Russia on Tuesday to meet Vladimir Putin in a trip he may hope will give the West pause for thought. Turkish officials insist Erdogan's visit to St. Petersburg is no sign that the NATO member and European Union membership candidate is turning its back on the West. Rather, they say, it is the next step in a rapprochement with Russia that started weeks before the July 15 attempted putsch.

Senior separatist official in east Ukraine wounded in explosion

The head of the separatist-controlled Luhansk region in east Ukraine was wounded on Saturday after an explosion near his car that regional officials said was an assassination attempt. Igor Plotnitsky, head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LNR), received shrapnel wounds in the blast, a source in the hospital where he was being treated told Russia's Interfax news agency.

Austrian far-right leader likens Turkish coup to Reichstag fire

Turkey's failed coup and President Tayyip Erdogan's subsequent purges of state institutions are reminiscent of the Reichstag fire in Nazi Germany and its use by Hitler to amass greater power, the head of Austria's far-right Freedom Party said. The blaze in the German parliament building in 1933 was portrayed by the Nazis as a Communist plot against the government and it was used to justify curtailing civil liberties, consolidating Adolf Hitler's grip on Germany.

Italy's highest court set to approve referendum: paper

Italy's highest court is set to give a green light on Monday for a national referendum due to take place in the autumn on a major constitutional reform, daily la Repubblica reported on Saturday. The referendum, in which people can vote on a series of changes to the country's constitution, will be a big test for Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's government.

Islamic State 'almost completely' ousted from Syria's Manbij city: Observatory

U.S.-backed forces trying to oust Islamic State militants from the Syrian city of Manbij took "almost complete control" of the city on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes the powerful Kurdish YPG militia and Arab fighters, launched its campaign two months ago with the backing of U.S. special forces to drive Islamic State from a last stretch of the Syrian-Turkish frontier.

Fire kills 13 after birthday cake falls to floor in French bar

A fire swept through a bar in the northern French city of Rouen overnight, killing 13 people and injuring six, after a birthday cake with candles and sparklers fell to the floor and set the carpet ablaze, police said. The fire broke out in the basement of the popular Cuba Libre bar and quickly engulfed the room where some 20 people were celebrating, filling it with thick black smoke and poisonous fumes, a Rouen police officer told Reuters.

08/06/2016 8:56