Reuters World News Summary

08/25/2016 8:58

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Gun, bomb attack on American University in Kabul kills 12: police

Twelve people, including seven students, were killed in an attack on the American University in Kabul that sent hundreds of students fleeing in panic, police said on Thursday, before the assault ended when two gunmen were shot dead. The attack began at around 6:30 p.m. (1400 GMT) on Wednesday with a large explosion that officials said was a car bomb followed by gunfire, as suspected militants battled into the complex where foreign staff and pupils were working.

North Korea's Kim declares sub missile launch 'greatest success'

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile and declared it "the greatest success," which puts the country in the "front rank" of nuclear military powers, official media reported on Thursday. North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on Wednesday which flew about 500 km (300 miles) towards Japan. The South Korean government and experts said the launch showed technical progress in the North's SLBM program.

Impeachment trial of Dilma Rousseff begins in Brazilian Senate

Brazil's Senate started the impeachment trial of suspended President Dilma Rousseff on Thursday on charges of breaking budget laws. Rousseff, Brazil's first female president, will appear before the 81 senators on Monday to defend herself, but her opponents are confident they have more than the 54 votes needed to convict her and end 13 years of left-wing rule by her Workers Party.

Turkish opposition leader targetted by Kurdish militants: minister

Turkey's outlawed Kurdish PKK militant group attacked a convoy of the main opposition party leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, while he was traveling in the northeast of the country on Thursday but he escaped unharmed, the interior minister said. Minister Efkan Ala also told Turkey's NTV news channel that three soldiers were injured in the exchange of fire and an operation had been launched to pursue the attackers who he said were from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Iran vessels make 'high speed intercept' of U.S. ship: U.S. official

Four of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vessels "harassed" a U.S. warship on Tuesday near the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. defense official said, amid Washington's concerns about Iran's posture in the Gulf and in the Syrian civil war. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday that two of the Iranian vessels came within 300 yards of the USS Nitze in an incident that was "unsafe and unprofessional."

Kerry tackles Yemen, Syrian conflicts in Saudi Arabia talks

Secretary of State John Kerry met Saudi Arabia's King Salman and the country's powerful deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday to discuss ways to end conflict in Yemen and resume peace talks between the warring sides. Kerry arrived in Jeddah late on Wednesday from Nigeria for discussions with Saudi leaders and other Gulf Arab states and will also update them on U.S. meetings with Russia on military cooperation in Syria, a senior U.S. official said ahead of the talks.

Turkey sends more tanks to Syria, demands Kurdish fighters retreat

Turkey sent more tanks into northern Syria on Thursday and demanded Kurdish militia fighters retreat within a week as it seeks to secure the border region and drive back Islamic State with its first major incursion into its neighbor. Turkish special forces, tanks and warplanes on Wednesday entered Jarablus, one of Islamic State's last strongholds on the Turkish-Syrian border, in a U.S.-backed offensive. Gunfire and explosions echoed around hills in the region on Thursday.

Iraq army captures Qayyara oil region from IS, Abadi says

The Iraqi army has dislodged Islamic State from the Qayyara oil producing region located south of their de facto capital Mosul, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Thursday. "The liberation of Qayyara is an important step toward achieving the larger goal of restoring Mosul province," according to tweets from Abadi's media office.

Leader of Sunni militant organization in Iran killed: Intelligence Minister

The leader of a Sunni militant group in southeast Iran responsible for attacks against security forces and civilian targets has been killed, Iran's intelligence minister Mahmoud Alavi was quoted as saying on Thursday by state media. Hesham Azizi, also known as Abu Hafs al Baloushi, was the head of the Ansar al Furqan militant organization, according to the SITE intelligence group.

Italy quake death toll nears 250 as rescuers search demolished towns

The death toll from a devastating earthquake in central Italy reached at least 241 people on Thursday and could rise further after rescue teams worked through the night to try to find survivors under the rubble of flattened towns. The 6.2 magnitude quake struck a cluster of mountain communities 140 km (85 miles) east of Rome early on Wednesday as people slept, destroying hundreds of homes.

08/25/2016 8:58