World briefs

IRAQ The Islamic State group blew up a historic landmark in Mosul — the city’s famed 12th century al-Nuri mosque with its iconic leaning minaret known as al-Hadba, from where the IS leader proclaimed the militant group’s self-styled caliphate nearly three years ago. The explosion destroyed yet another piece of priceless Iraqi cultural heritage as U.S.-led coalition forces and Iraqi troops close in on IS.

THAILAND’s military-installed parliament yesterday passed a bill that allows the ruling junta to continue to impose its policies after it holds elections and officially relinquishes power.

INDONESIA Police announced yesterday they have arrested 41 suspected militants following last month’s twin suicide bombings in the capital that killed three policemen.

RUSSIA A Moscow court has sentenced an ally of the Russian opposition leader to five days in jail for organizing a webcast of massive anti-government protests earlier this month.

AFGHANISTAN A suicide car bomb exploded yesterday at a bank in Afghanistan’s Helmand province as Afghan troops and government workers waited to collect their pay, killing at least 29 people. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. 

TURKEY-US Turkish officials said yesterday that U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has written to his Turkish counterpart, reassuring him that arms provided to Syrian Kurdish fighters would be taken back once Islamic State militants are ousted from their main stronghold in Syria, the city of Raqqa.

SOUTH AFRICA President Jacob Zuma yesterday sparred with opposition lawmakers in a parliamentary debate over presidential scandals and an economy in recession, laughing dismissively at criticism and declaring of his job performance: “I’m fit and I’m doing it very well.”

PORTUGAL Official reports into Portugal’s deadliest natural disaster in decades have described freak conditions that drove the wildfire that killed 64 people, while Portuguese authorities said yesterday they have contained a second fire that raged for five days close by.

EU European Union leaders are gathering to weigh measures to tackle terrorism, closer defense ties and migration. Ahead of the two-day meeting in Brussels, summit chairman Donald Tusk trumpeted the resurgence of the EU, even as Britain launched talks this week on leaving. 

COLOMBIA Leftist rebels say they will free two Dutch journalists kidnapped while reporting in a restive region of northeastern Colombia. The National Liberation Army said that they are in good health.