The US is overhauling its approach to fighting Islamic state militants in Syria. The Pentagon spent 500 million dollars training Syrian fighters, but only a handful are now left in the battlefield. Nit Brown is in Washington. Two initial groups of US trained rebels suffered embarrassing setbacks. The first was rounded up by the Al-Nusra Front, while the second surrendered much of its American military equipment to the same extremist group. The administration has just announced what it's calling a pause. As part of this rethink, the Pentagon will now provide basic military equipment and weapons to a selected group of vetted leaders in their units who had sucess in fighting Islamic State in places like Hebarni. They will also provide these groups with air support.
The Isreali army says Palestinian militants in the Gaza strip has launched a rocket into southern Isreal hours after Isreali soliders shot dead six Palestines on the border. They said the rockets landed in open ground on Friday. The Isreali army said its troops opened fire to disperse rioters who were rolling burning tyres towards them. A spokesman for Hamas said a new intifada uprising was underway. The intifada of Jerusalem has begun, and we are not going back. The enemy is fully responsible and it crossed all the red lines and offended and angered the feelings of our people. The enemy should only blame itself, and bear the consequences of its police.
President Barack Obama has said the United States has to figure out how to stop mass shootings after holding talks with the families of people shot dead last week. Mr. Obama made the comments after a private meeting with the Oregon college where a student killed nine people before killing himself. From Roseberg here is Jame Cook. President Obama spent around an hour with relatives of those who were killed at Umpqua community college last week. After the meeting he said US would have to come together as a country to deal with the problem of gun deaths. But today he added was about supporting the families. As the president's helicopter landed in Roseberg, there were cheers for protestors many openedly carrying guns who accuse them of trying to politicize a local tragedy.
Two people have been killed in shootings in unversities of US states of Arozona and Texas. A student killed a classmate and wounded three others on the campus of northern Arozona university on Friday. Hours later, one person died and another was wounded in a shooting in Texas.
A judge in US state of Arkansas has halted the executions of eight deathroll prisoners. Their lawyers challenged a new secrecy law which allows the state to withhold the identity of the manufactures or sellers of its execution drugs. Citing a similar case in neighbouring Oklahoma, the lawyers argued the prisoners could suffer unduly because of the safety of the drugs could not be verified. World news from the BBC.
North Korea is holding what it expected to be the one of its biggest celebrations ever to mark the 70th anniversary of the ruling workers party. The cablecade of tanks, armed vehicles, and blistered missiles are expected to rubble through the capital of Pingyang's main square shortly showcasing the country's military muscle.
US and five European nations have issued a joint statement urging the rival factions in Lybia to agree to proposals to form a unity government. The UN has put forward the plan, which must now be considered by the country's two governments.
Fears of another landslide have forced authorities in Guata Mala to move families from an area where more than 250 people died a week ago. Nearly 400 people are missing after the landslide hit a poor neighbourhood. The Guata Mala government will decide on Monday whether to halt the rescue work.
Police in Turkey have detained the editor of a leading English language daily newspaper on suspision of insulting president Erdogan in a series of Tweets. Bulent Kenes, the chief editor of Today's Zaman, insisted he is exercising his right to free speech.
A newly released documents from the personal archive of the former British prime minister Margret Thatcher revealed she was urged to soften her Iron Lady image, and display a more caring side by one of her closest advisors. More from Nick Hire. Bernard Ingham was Mrs Thatcher's chief press secretary throughout her primeirship. In 1985 he wrote a five page memo, ahead of that years' conservative party conference, listing her strength and what he called her perceived weakness. She was, he told her, decisive and strong minded, but she was also seen as having a hectoring, strident,and bossy dictorial personality. In her conference speech that year, she stopped short of using words like compassion and caring, though she did say she understood the problems faced by the less fortunalized society. BBC news.