Gunmen abducts the elderly father of Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad, apparently in reprisal for the arrest of one of their relatives, according to a government source and a watchdog.

Cash, valuables and other items worth approximately $47,000 were stolen in a series of thefts and burglaries in different parts of the country, security sources say.

Nigeria's military imposes a round-the-clock curfew in parts of the northeastern city of Maiduguri, the home base of Boko Haram Islamists, as a massive offensive against the insurgents presses on across the region.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, mindful of the weight of Christian voters in September elections, makes a quick trip to Rome for a private meeting with Pope Francis, focusing on how Europe's struggling economy should be at the service of the people.