News / News Bulletin

British PM absent in EU meeting on Brexit

Wednesday, 29 June 2016 1:18 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 29 June 2016 1:18 PM ]

(From L) French President Francois Hollande, Belgian Prime minister Charles Michel and Luxembourg Prime minister Xavier Bettel talk during the second day of an EU - Summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels on June 29, 2016. (AFP)

Here is a round-up of global news developments:

At least 41 people have been killed in a triple bombing and gunfire attack at Ataturk airport in the Turkish city of Istanbul. Officials say nearly 240 others have been wounded. No claim of responsibility yet, but Prime Minister Binali Yildirim is pointing the figure at Daesh.
At least ten people have been killed and several others wounded in a car bomb explosion in the northern Syrian town of Tal Abyad. Officials say the explosives-laden car was detonated near a local administrative office. Daesh terrorists have claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Bahrain has sentenced 27 people to prison terms for terrorism charges. 24 of the defendants have received 15 years in jail each on charges of trying to kill policemen, possessing guns and inciting riots in 2013. The other three have been handed five to seven years behind bars for similar charges.
The Iraqi army and volunteer forces are advancing towards the northern city of Mosul in Nineveh province which is under the control of Daesh. Iraqi troops have now reached the administrative borders of Nineveh. Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, fell into the hands of Daesh in 2014.
US Secretary of State John Kerry says Iran has been helpful in the fight against Daesh in Iraq, which means Tehran and Washington have a common interest in that country. Kerry also says the US and Iran can now solve global crises more easily and communicate directly.
European Union leaders have met in Brussels to discuss the UK’s decision to leave the union. Britain was absent from the meeting for the first time in decades. The EU leaders insist there can be no negotiation over the Brexit before the UK formally invokes Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.
There has been a firebomb attack outside a mosque in western Australia. No one was injured in Tuesday night’s blast which happened in suburban Perth. Worshippers were at prayer when the explosion happened. A Muslim leader has called the attack a hate crime, saying anti-Islamic graffiti was spray-painted on a wall.
The United States, South Korea and Japan have held a joint missile exercise aimed at countering what they call growing threats from North Korea. The trilateral drill, which took place in waters off Hawaii, included a ballistic target-tracking operation to test the Aegis anti-missile systems.