World briefs
INDIA As the government yesterday blamed separatist rebels for gunning down seven Hindu pilgrims and wounding 19 more in Kashmir before fleeing into the night, rebel groups in the disputed region condemned the rare, deadly attack on civilians and insisted they had no part in it. Meanwhile, a “top secret” memo that was circulated to regional police, military and paramilitary units two weeks ago indicates Indian security officials had been expecting an attack.
THAILAND A group of gunmen barged into the home of a local official in southern Thailand and killed eight members of his family, including three children, by shooting them in the head. The police chief of Krabi province, told reporters he believed the killings involved a dispute over land or political issues, but an investigation was ongoing.
NORTH KOREA Kim Jong Un was feted at a concert replete with pop music and thunderous applause marking last week’s successful launch of his country’s first intercontinental ballistic missile.
US-QATAR U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson took his mission to break the deadlock between Qatar and four Arab states to the tiny energy-rich nation yesterday, securing a commitment from Qatar to intensify its counterterrorism efforts as he looks to end the squabbling among key Middle Eastern allies.
IRAQ Sporadic clashes erupted in Mosul yesterday, a day after Iraq’s prime minister declared “total victory” over the Islamic State group, with several airstrikes hitting the Old City neighborhood that was the scene of the fierce battle’s final days.
TURKEY Authorities have issued detention warrants for 105 information technology experts suspected of aiding last year’s failed coup, the state-run news agency reported.
ZIMBABWE’s President Robert Mugabe is in Singapore for medical reasons, prompting opposition figures to question whether the 93-year-old still has the stamina to run the country.
EUROPEAN UNION finance ministers have agreed to collectively address the problem of non-performing loans in the banking sector, which has been an economic problem particularly in Italy and Spain.
NETERLANDS An appeals judge has confirmed that a 12-year-old boy does not have to undergo chemotherapy if he does not want it.
BRAZIL A key Brazilian lawmaker has argued that President Michel Temer should be suspended from office and put on trial in the country’s highest court on a corruption charge.
