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page 39 TURKEY Turkish military kills 63 IS fighters in Syria The Turkish military killed 63 Islamic State soldiers in Syria Sunday after launching artillery and drone strikes from the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey, the Turkish military said in a statement. State-run media in Turkey reported the strikes took out several rocket-launcher and […]

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TURKEY

Turkish military kills 63 IS fighters in Syria

The Turkish military killed 63 Islamic State soldiers in Syria Sunday after launching artillery and drone strikes from the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey, the Turkish military said in a statement.

State-run media in Turkey reported the strikes took out several rocket-launcher and gun positions. According to the report, Turkish artillery killed 34 IS extremists, while drone strikes killed another 29.

The Turkish shelling took place after rockets were fired from Syria at the Turkish city of Kilis along the northern Syrian border Sunday. The rocket attack wounded eight people.

In a separate incident Sunday, a car bomb was detonated in front of a police station in Gaziantep, another Turkish city near the Syrian border. Two policemen were killed and 22 others were wounded in that attack.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the police station attack, though jihadists are believed to have carried out two similar attacks in Istanbul earlier this year.

EGYPT

Journalists stage protest over police raid at union

Egypt’s journalists’ syndicate called for the dismissal of the interior minister and an immediate sit-in at its headquarters in downtown Cairo on Monday, to protest the police detention of two journalists on its premises the night earlier.

After an emergency meeting in the early hours of Monday morning, the group called for the “open-ended” sit-in to run through a Wednesday general assembly meeting and World Press Freedom day on May 3.

Later Monday morning, dozens gathered at the steps of the building, chanting “journalists are not terrorists.” They plan for a larger demonstration Monday afternoon.

The syndicate described the police’s entry into the building as a “raid by security forces whose blatant barbarism and aggression on the dignity of the press and journalists and their syndicate has surprised the journalistic community and the Egyptian people.”

Some syndicate members have said the raid was heavy-handed, involving dozens of officers and resulted in a security guard being injured.

SOMALIA

British Army team in Somalia on UN peacekeeping duties

A British Army team has arrived in Somalia as part of a United Nations mission to counter Islamist militants.

An advance party of about 10 soldiers from Force Troop Command, 1 Div and Field Army training will support African Union peacekeeping efforts against the al-Shabab group.

About 70 personnel will eventually be in Somalia carrying out medical, logistical and engineering duties.

Around 300 troops are also be deployed to the conflict in South Sudan.

Al-Shabab – the Islamist militant group allied to al-Qaeda – is battling Somalia’s government for control of the country.

UNITED STATES

CIA marks anniversary of bin Laden’s death by ‘live-tweeting’ raid

The CIA marked the fifth anniversary of the daring raid that killed Osama bin Laden by revealing some little-known details about the operation – in real-time on Twitter.

Over a series of tweets posted to its verified Twitter feed Sunday, the agency gave its 1.3 million Twitter followers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how the mission unfolded.

The timing of the posts more or less matched the CIA’s official timeline of the assault on the al-Qaida leader’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

“To mark the 5th anniversary,” the CIA explained, “we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today.”

Hillary Clinton, who was then secretary of state, says she believes the Pakistanis knew bin Laden was hiding in their country, but that the United States was unable to prove the suspicion.

“There was never any evidence that we could uncover that led directly to the top of the Pakistani military and intelligence service,” Clinton told CNN in a primetime special on the raid set to air Monday. “I believe Pakistanis knew. I believe Pakistanis either in service or retired or both knew.”

SYRIA

Kerry hopes to salvage truce as new raids hit Aleppo

US Secretary of State John Kerry says envoys meeting in Geneva are getting closer to an understanding on salvaging the cessation of hostilities in Syria.

He told reporters progress was being made on a plan to reduce the violence in the second city of Aleppo, which has threatened to sink the nine-week truce.

But he accused the Syrian government of “blatantly violating” the agreement to halt hostilities and allow aid in.

About 250 people have reportedly been killed in Aleppo in the past nine days.

On Monday, fresh government air strikes and artillery attacks on rebel-held districts and suburbs of Aleppo left at least three dead, activists said.

Mr Kerry, speaking after a morning of talks in Geneva, said the conflict in Syria was “in many ways out of control and deeply disturbing”.

He said the cessation of hostilities had had “a profoundly positive effect” and saved many lives, but in recent weeks it had been “put to the test”.

BELGIUM

Brussels Airport departure hall reopens amid long queues

Long delays have marred the reopening of the departure hall at Brussels airport weeks after suicide attacks there killed 16 people.

Amid heavy security, some passengers complained of missing their flights.

They have been advised to arrive at least three hours ahead of departure.

The 22 March attacks, by so-called Islamic State (IS), severely damaged the hall. Another suicide blast on a metro train on the same day killed another 16 people.

On Sunday some passengers were able to board select flights and from Monday could check-in at more than 100 desks in the airport departure hall.

It is not expected to be operating at full capacity until mid-June.

But the extra security checks and screenings have caused frustration, with local media reporting two-hour long queues outside the hall.

IRAQ

Car bombing kills at least 18 pilgrims in Baghdad

An explosives-laden car detonated on Monday in the Iraqi capital, killing at least 18 Shiite pilgrims who were commemorating the anniversary of the death of a revered imam, officials said.

Shortly after the explosion, the Sunni extremist Islamic State group, which sees Shiite Muslims as apostates, claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement. It said the assault was carried out by a suicide bomber, but Iraqi officials denied that.

IS militants frequently target commercial areas and public spaces in mainly Shiite towns and neighborhoods.

According to an Iraqi police officer, the car was parked in Baghdad’s southwestern Saydiyah neighborhood and blew up shortly after midday. The explosion killed at least 18 and wounded 45 people, the officer said.

A medical official confirmed the causality figures. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to the media.

CONGO

Thousands pay tribute to Papa Wemba

Thousands of people are attending the first day of official commemorations in the Democratic Republic of Congo to mark the sudden death of music star Papa Wemba.

His body is lying in the parliamentary building in the capital, Kinshasa, and will be taken later to his family home for the public to view.

Papa Wemba will be buried on Wednesday.

Known as the king of Congolese rumba, the 66-year-old collapsed and died on stage in Ivory Coast on 24 April.

President Joseph Kabila delivered a tribute to the singer at the parliamentary building, and awarded him one the DR Congo’s highest honours for the “loyal and eminent services given to the nation”

AUSTRALIA

Nauru asylum seeker sets herself alight

A Somali woman seeking asylum in Australia has set herself on fire in protest at her detention at a centre on the Pacific island of Nauru.

The 21-year-old suffered critical injuries after covering herself in fuel and setting herself alight.

Last week, a 23-year-old Iranian died after setting himself alight at the same facility.

Nauru is one of several off-shore detention centres for asylum seekers operated by Australia.

Human rights groups have strongly criticised Australia’s policies towards asylum seekers.

Papua New Guinea last week announced it was closing a similar detention centre, at Manus Island, after its Supreme Court ruled it was illegal.

INDIA

Indian boy dies after tragic gun ‘selfie’

A schoolboy who accidently shot himself while allegedly posing with a handgun for a selfie has died in the north Indian state of Punjab.

Media reports said that Ramandeep Singh, 15, pulled the trigger of his father’s gun while posing for a picture at his home in Pathankot on Friday.

He died in a local hospital on Sunday due to severe head injuries.

A senior police officer said that an investigation was under way into the death of the boy.

“The family has claimed that the boy died while trying to take a selfie with his father’s revolver. We will be able tell more after we conclude our preliminary investigations,” the superintendent of police in Pathankot, Rakesh Kaushal, said.