Reuters World News Summary

08/31/2016 8:55

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Bomb blast in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley kills one, wounds 11: Red Cross

A bomb blast on a road in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Wednesday killed at least one person and wounded 11 other people, the Lebanese Red Cross said. The explosion took place at a roundabout near the city of Zahle, the source added, without elaborating. Local media reported the person killed was a woman, but gave no further details.

Turkey won't agree truce with Syrian Kurdish militia, despite U.S. unease

Turkey will not agree a truce with Kurdish militias in Syria as it considers them terrorists, officials said on Wednesday, after strains emerged with the United States over clashes between Turkish forces and the U.S.-backed Syrian fighters. Washington has been alarmed by Turkey's week-long incursion into Syria, saying it was "unacceptable" for its NATO ally to hit militias loyal to Kurdish-aligned Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that Washington supports to fight against Islamic State.

Philippines' Duterte: Obama must listen to me on human rights

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday he was ready to discuss any issues with Barack Obama when they meet in Laos next week, but added that the U.S. president must listen to him first before bringing up the question of human rights. Washington has expressed concern about a surge in drug-related killings since Duterte became president two months ago promising to wipe out narcotics in the Southeast Asian nation.

Key Islamic State leader killed in apparent U.S. strike in Syria

Islamic State said on Tuesday one of its most prominent and longest-serving leaders was killed in what appeared to be an American air strike in Syria, depriving the militant group of the man in charge of directing attacks overseas. A U.S. defense official told Reuters the United States targeted Abu Muhammad al-Adnani in a Tuesday strike on a vehicle traveling in the Syrian town of al-Bab. The official stopped short of confirming Adnani's death, however.

British PM May gathers ministers to hear views on Brexit

Prime Minister Theresa May told her top ministers on Wednesday they must deliver Brexit, and not entertain any idea of staying in the EU by the "back door." After a summer of political earthquakes followed by a few weeks of holiday calm, May gathered her cabinet team for the first time since she asked them to use the break to come up with options for Britain's future ties with the bloc after a divorce.

After blast, China tells citizens in Kyrgyzstan to avoid going out

China on Wednesday advised its citizens in Kyrgyzstan to avoid going outside or visiting crowded places, after a suspected suicide car bomber rammed the gates of the Chinese embassy in its capital of Bishkek. The attacker died and at least three people were wounded in the Tuesday blast. Officials from both countries described the assault as a terrorist act.

Air strike kills Yemeni family of Yemeni imam: Reuters witness, medic

At least 16 members of the extended family of a Yemeni mosque imam were killed on Wednesday in an air strike on their family home in northern Yemen by the Saudi-led Arab coalition, a Reuters witness, a medic and a resident said. They said missiles struck a house of the imam, identified as Saleh Abu Zainah, in northern Saada province. The imam, his family, his two sons and their families all died in the attack, they said.

North Korea executes vice premier in latest purge: South

North Korea has executed its vice premier for education and rebuked two high-ranking officials, South Korea said on Wednesday, which, if true, would mark a new series of measures by leader Kim Jong Un to discipline top aides. Kim took power in 2011 after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, and his consolidation of power has included purges and executions of top officials, South Korean officials have said.

Police question suspect after Frankfurt airport security breach

German police said a misunderstanding may have led to a security breach that prompted the evacuation of Frankfurt airport's Terminal 1 and caused delays and flight cancellations at Europe's fourth largest airport on Wednesday. Police were questioning a female suspect who had entered into the departure gate area at Frankfurt, a major hub for international travel and home to Lufthansa, without completing the security check, a spokeswoman for the federal force told Reuters.

Death of Islamic State's tactician comes at critical moment

The U.S. air strike believed to have killed Abu Mohammad al-Adnani has deprived Islamic State of the architect of its attacks on the West, as it faces the loss of swathes of its heartlands. One of the last survivors of the al Qaeda militants who originally formed Islamic State last decade in Iraq, including its self-appointed caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Adnani had risen to become one of its most influential leaders.

08/31/2016 8:55