Beirut / AFP Russian and Syrian warplanes pounded Aleppo again on Thursday after two days of heavy bombardment that killed more than 70 civilians, as world powers prepared for last-ditch weekend talks on a ceasefire. More than 20 air strikes hit the rebel-controlled east at dawn on Thursday, killing seven civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group …

  Baghdad / AFP The Iraqi foreign ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador on Thursday to protest the continued presence of Turkish troops in northern Iraq without Baghdad’s permission, a ministry spokesman said. Turkish troops are deployed in the Bashiqa area near the extremist-held city of Mosul, and Turkey’s prime minister has said that they will stay despite Baghdad’s demands that …

  Bangui / AFP Thirty people were killed and 57 hurt when fighters from a militia group attacked civilians and clashed with UN peacekeepers in Central African Republic, the UN mission said on Thursday. Twelve militia fighters were killed by UN troops in the clashes on Wednesday. The violence in the central market town of Kaga Bandoro began when a …