Down.com, Washington
The US Department of Defence announced on Sunday that Turkey has reopened its air base for military flights, enabling the United States to resume its air strikes against IS targets in neighbouring Syria and Iraq.
After Friday’s failed coup attempt, the Turkish government had stopped all flights into and out of Incirlik air base, which hosts more than 1,000 US military personnel and equipment. US and coalition aircraft also fly missions against the IS from this base.
China typhoon death toll rises to 83
PTI, Beijing
At least 83 people have been killed and 19 others are still missing after typhoon Nepartak struck east China’s Fujian Province last week, taking the death toll in recent rains and floods in the country to 309.
The worst-hit Minqing County in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian, has reported 73 deaths, with another 17 still missing, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Ex-Australia PM Rudd wants top UN job
AFP, Sydney
Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd Monday revealed he wants to succeed Ban Ki-moon as the next UN secretary general, asking Canberra to endorse his nomination.
A growing list of candidates have declared their interest in becoming the world’s top diplomat, including UNESCO chief Irina Bokova of Bulgaria and former New Zealand prime minister and head of the UN Development Programme Helen Clark.
The Mandarin-speaking Rudd, who is based in New York as head of the policy institute Asia Society, served as Labor prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and again in 2013.
Blaze engulfs Makkah hotel, no casualties
AFP, Riyadh
A fire ripped through an uninhabited hotel in the Saudi holy city of Makkah today without causing casualties, the civil defence spokesman said.
Firefighters put out the blaze at the 10-floor hotel, the spokesman said in statements carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.
The fire had spread from palm trees facing a facade of the hotel and gutted all 10 floors of the building which comprises two towers.
