Pope urges dialogue to end Syria offensive
AP, Beirut
Pope Francis has appealed for a new effort at dialogue after U.S. forces pulled back from northeastern Syria, clearing the way for Turkey’s offensive against Syrian Kurds there.
Francis said civilians including Christian families “had been forced to abandon their homes as a result of military action.” Speaking Sunday at the end of a Mass, Francis urged the international community to work with “sincerity, honesty and transparency” toward finding “efficient solutions.”
Pak PM leaves for Iran, Saudi Arabia to ease tensions
AP, Islamabad
Pakistan’s prime minister is headed to the Iranian capital as part of his country’s ongoing efforts to ease tensions between archrivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.A foreign ministry statement says Imran Khan’s trip Sunday to Tehran will focus on “peace and security in the region.”
Khan will meet Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani. This is Khan’s second visit to Tehran this year. He also had a bilateral meeting with Rouhani on the sidelines of the U.N. summit in New York last month.
Saudi king approves US military
deployment
Reuters, Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s king and crown prince have approved the deployment of additional U.S. troops and equipment, after an attack last month on the kingdom’s oil facilities, state news agency SPA reported on Saturday.
The United States announced a deployment of about 3,000 troops to the Gulf state, including fighter squadrons, an air expeditionary wing and air defense personnel, amid heightened tensions with Saudi’s arch-rival Iran.
9 members of same family killed in Sinai attack
AP, Egypt
A shell hit a truck carrying civilians in Egypt’s restive northern Sinai Peninsula on Saturday, killing at least nine people of the same family, security officials and medics said. The officials said the shell exploded in the small town of Bir al-Abd. At least six others were wounded and were taken to a hospital, they said.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the shelling, which struck the family while they were returning home from their olive farm, according to two residents in the town.
Firefighters curb southern California blazes
AFP, Los Angeles
Wildfires raging across southern California abated on Saturday with evacuation orders lifted after 100,000 people were forced to flee their homes. A fire that had burned rapidly through the San Fernando Valley in greater Los Angeles was the strongest of several across southern California.
By Saturday, it had consumed 8,000 acres (3,200 hectares) about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of downtown Los Angeles, fire officials said, adding that the blaze was about 33 percent contained.
All residents were allowed to return to their homes on Saturday as cooler temperatures and lighter winds improved the outlook.
