WASHINGTON – The US and five Arab allies have launched the first strikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria. The Pentagon said warplanes, drones and Tomahawk missiles were used in the attacks, which targeted several areas including IS stronghold Raqqa. Syria’s foreign ministry said its UN envoy was informed about the strikes against IS,…
DAMASCUS – Turkey has begun to close some of its border crossings with Syria after about 130,000 Kurdish refugees entered the country over the weekend. On Sunday Turkish security forces clashed with Kurds protesting in solidarity with the refugees. Some protesters were reportedly trying to go to Syria to fight Islamic State (IS). Most refugees…
LONDON – Scotland has voted to stay in the United Kingdom after voters decisively rejected independence. With the results in from all 32 council areas, the “No” side won with 2,001,926 votes over 1,617,989 for “Yes”. Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond called for unity and urged the unionist parties to deliver on more powers. Prime…
GENEVA – As hospitals in nations hardest hit by Ebola struggle to keep up, desperate patients are turning to the black market to buy blood from survivors of the virus, the World Health Organization warned. The deadliest Ebola outbreak in history has killed at least 2,400 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone — the…
HARARE – Both sides in the Scottish referendum debate are making their final pitch to voters on the last day of campaigning. It comes as the latest polls suggested the result remained too close to call, with a slender lead for a “No” vote. Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond has written to voters appealing to…
LONDON – The murder of David Haines was an “act of pure evil”, David Cameron has said after the release of a video appearing to show the UK hostage’s beheading. The 44-year-old aid worker was seized in Syria in 2013. He was being held by Islamic State militants who have already killed two US captives….
BAGDAD – Iraqi government forces say they have cleared Islamic State (IS) militants from a wide area around the strategic Haditha dam, helped by US air strikes. The jihadists have repeatedly tried to capture the dam on the River Euphrates, in the western province of Anbar. The US air strikes were the first to have…
WALES – Western leaders have criticised Russia for its “destabilising” influence on the crisis in Ukraine, at the start of a Nato summit in Wales. Nato and the UK warned that pressure on Russia would be increased if it did not change course in eastern Ukraine. Prior to the summit, Ukraine’s president briefed US and…
JINAN – I’ve eaten some unusual things on the road. There were salted Mopani worms in Botswana at the hotel buffet (black and squishy); sun-dried nsenene grasshoppers in Uganda (yellow and juicy); whole roasted goat in the desert in Mauritania (delicious), and chicken head and feet soup in Beijing (only unusual if you are not…
NEW DELHI – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a plan to provide a bank account for every household, in a landmark initiative to help the poor. Nearly 40% of Indians have little access to financial services and are often at the mercy of moneylenders who charge extortionate interest. Mr Modi has told state…
