AFP, Istanbul
A four-year-old Syrian girl’s body washed up on a beach in western Turkey on Friday, state media said, just weeks after images of drowned Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi shook the world.
The yet-to-be identified girl was found lifeless on a beach in the Aegean town of Cesme in Izmir province after a boat carrying 15 Syrians to the Greek island of Chios sank, the official Anatolia news agency said.
It said the Turkish coast guard rescued the remaining 14 Syrians, including eight children, from the inflatable boat. The girl appeared to be the only casualty.
Haj pilgrims’ safety a priority
AFP, Makkah
The safety of Haj pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia is a priority, the crown prince said on Friday, assuring that a deadly crane accident at Islam’s holiest site will not affect this year’s Haj.
Prince Mohammed bin Nayef was referring to a tragedy a week ago, when a massive crane being used in work on an expansion of Grand Mosque toppled into a courtyard, killing 108 people. Another 402 people were injured.
Prince Mohammed, quoted by the official Saudi Press Agency, said the kingdom always “takes into consideration the safety of pilgrims as a priority”.
Pope heads to Cuba, US in high-profile trip
AFP, Vatican City
Pope Francis heads for Cuba on Saturday on the first-leg of a trip that will also take him to the United States for his most high-profile overseas visit to date.
Landmark speeches to the US Congress and the UN General Assembly await next week on the 78-year-old Argentine’s first trip to a global superpower whose policies he has never hesitated to criticise.
But first the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Roman Catholics will become the third pope to have touched down in communist Cuba in less than two decades.
US, Russia defence chiefs break silence to discuss Syria crisis
Reuters, Washington
US and Russian defense chiefs spoke for the first time in over a year on Friday, breaking their silence to discuss the crisis in Syria as Moscow’s increasing military buildup there raised the prospect of coordination between the former Cold War foes.
The Pentagon said the call lasted about 50 minutes and included an agreement for further US-Russian talks about ways to keep their respective militaries out of each other’s way, something known as “deconfliction” in military parlance.
Japan parliament passes security bills
AFP, Tokyo
Japan’s parliament passed contentious security bills into law early Saturday, in a move that could see Japanese troops fight abroad for the first time in 70 years.
Lawmakers approved the bills to ease restrictions on the country’s tightly controlled military, while outside thousands rallied in a last-ditch show of opposition to laws they fear could fundamentally reshape the proudly pacifist nation.
