Reuters World News Summary

08/07/2016 8:55

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Anti-social media: Online chats foil Singapore rocket attack plan

It was social media chatter that gave him away. Changing his profile picture on the LINE messaging app to a banner pledging "Indonesian support and solidarity for ISIS" probably didn't help. Had it not been for all that, Gigih Rahmat Dewa's plot to launch a rocket attack on the city-state of Singapore from a nearby Indonesian island might never have been uncovered.

Turkey's Erdogan stages mass rally in show of strength after coup attempt

Hundreds of thousands of Turks began gathering in Istanbul on Sunday summoned by President Tayyip Erdogan to denounce a failed coup - a show of strength staged in the face of Western criticism of widespread purges and detentions. The "Democracy and Martyrs' Rally" at the Yenikapi parade ground, built into the sea on the southern edge of Istanbul's historic peninsula, caps three weeks of nightly demonstrations by Erdogan's supporters, many wrapped in the red Turkish flag, in squares around the country.

Belgian police arrest man with machete a day after police injured in other incident

Belgian police arrested a man with a machete in the eastern city of Liege, broadcaster VRT reported on Sunday. The arrest came the day after a machete-wielding assailant attacked and injured two female police officers in the southern city of Charleroi before being shot dead by another officer, in what the prime minister has said appeared to be a terrorist act.

Iran executes nuclear scientist for spying for U.S.

Iran has executed an Iranian nuclear scientist detained in 2010 when he returned home from the United States, after a court convicted him of spying for Washington, a spokesman for the judiciary said on Sunday. "Through his connection with the United States, (Shahram) Amiri gave vital information about the country to the enemy," Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei told a weekly news conference, state news agency IRNA reported.

Islamic State militants claim capture of U.S. weapons in Afghanistan

Militants linked to Islamic State have released photos that purport to show weapons and equipment that belonged to American soldiers and were captured by the group in eastern Afghanistan. The photos, which came to light on Saturday, show an American portable rocket launcher, radio, grenades and other gear not commonly used by Afghan troops, as well as close up views of identification cards for a U.S. Army soldier, Specialist Ryan Larson.

France seeks relative of Charlie Hebdo killer stopped in Turkey: source

French prosecutors are seeking a European arrest warrant for a relative of one the islamist militants who attacked the Paris satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo last year, a judicial source said on Sunday. Authorities suspect 20-year-old Mourad Hamyd, who is the brother-in-law of Cherif Kouachi of attempting to join the ranks of Islamic State, the source said, confirming information cited by newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.

Track star Pistorius treated in hospital for wrist injuries

Oscar Pistorius was treated in hospital for wrist injuries on Saturday, a prison service spokesman said, adding the jailed South African track star had denied trying to kill himself. The multiple gold medal-winning Paralympian, serving six years for murdering his girlfriend on Valentine's Day 2013, was returned to his Pretoria cell after the incident, which coincided with the first day of competition in the Rio Olympic Games.

Intense fighting as Syrian rebels try to break Aleppo siege

Rebel fighters pressed on with an intense offensive against a major military complex in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Saturday, following gains on Friday, to try to end a siege of opposition-held areas in the city's east. Taking control of the Ramousah complex, which contains a number of military colleges, would isolate government-held western Aleppo by cutting the southern route out towards the capital Damascus.

Thailand accepts military-backed constitution: Election Commission

Thailand on Sunday voted to accept a military-backed constitution, results based on 80 percent of votes counted showed. Results from the country's Election Commission show 62 percent of the country voted for the charter while 37.9 percent rejected it.

South Korea presidential office says China 'out-of-place' on THAAD

South Korea's presidential office rebuked on Sunday China's criticism of its decision to deploy an advanced anti-missile defense, urging Beijing to instead play a stronger role against North Korea's provocations on the peninsula. The statement by President Park Geun-hye's office marked an escalation of diplomatic tensions between South Korea and China, which has sharply criticized Seoul's move to host a Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) unit with the U.S. military.

08/07/2016 8:55