Syrian army seizes town after driving out militants

BEIRUT • The Syrian army has taken control of the key town of al-Qaryatain after driving out Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants, Syrian state television said.

It said yesterday that the army and its allies "fully restored security and stability to the town after killing the last remaining groups of Daesh terrorists" in the town, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS.

The predominantly Christian town, in the central province of Homs, is 100km west of Palmyra, which government forces recaptured from ISIS last Sunday in a major victory.

REUTERS

Lula hopes to enter Brazil government by Thursday

RIO DE JANEIRO • Brazil's former president, Mr Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a key player in the political storm engulfing Latin America's biggest country, said last Saturday that he hopes the Supreme Court will approve his entry into the government by Thursday.

President Dilma Rousseff made him her chief of staff in a bid to stiffen her campaign to avoid impeachment in Congress. But the appointment was blocked temporarily after an opposition outcry that he was scheming to gain ministerial immunity to avoid arrest in a federal corruption probe. The court will make a final ruling soon.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Young people could hold key to Britain's EU fate

LONDON • Young people could be the deciding factor in whether Britain stays in the European Union, according to a new opinion poll which puts the Leave campaign in the lead.

The online survey of some 2,000 adults last week for The Observer newspaper found that support for Britain to quit the 28-country bloc was at 43 per cent, with the campaign to stay in the EU at 39 per cent.

The poll found that 53 per cent of people aged 18 to 34 wanted Britain to stay in the EU, with 29 per cent wanting out.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE