News in Brief -(11-07-2018)

July 11, 2018 00:00:00

Queen marks 100 years of Britain's RAF

LONDON, July 10: Queen Elizabeth and senior members of her family were attending celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) on Tuesday, ahead of a flypast of almost 100 aircraft over Buckingham Palace in central London. World War Two Spitfires will be joined by the country's newest stealth fighter, the Lightning F-35, along with helicopters and spy planes in London's skies at 1200. The tribute to the RAF, which became the world's first independent air force when it was founded as a separate entity from the British Army and Royal Navy in 1918, began with a service at Westminster Abbey. — Reuters

Storm Beryl leaves thousands without power in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, July 10: Thousands of Puerto Ricans lost power Monday as driving rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl neared the island, which was devastated by Hurricane Maria 10 months ago. "The entire government of Puerto Rico is on alert for the passage of Beryl's remnants, and heavy rain is expected in the local area," Ricardo Rossello, governor of the US territory, wrote on Facebook. — AFP

Wife of late China dissident Liu Xiaobo leaves for Berlin

BEIJING, July 10: Liu Xia, the widow of late Chinese Nobel Peace Prize-winning political dissident Liu Xiaobo, left China on a flight to Berlin early on Tuesday, one of her friends told the news agency. Liu Xia was on board a Finnair flight that left from Beijing at 11am, Ye Du, a writer and friend, told Reuters. Ye said he was informed of Liu's departure by her older brother. Her departure, following months of pressure from activists and international human rights organisations, comes at the end of a visit to Germany by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. — Reuters

Rebel attack in Syria kills 27 regime fighters

BEIRUT, July 10: More than two dozen pro-government fighters were killed in northwestern Syria overnight in a joint attack by rebel and Islamist forces on Tuesday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the surprise offensive late Monday targeted a pair of villages and observation points in the coastal province and regime stronghold of Latakia, near the Turkish border. — AFP