A spokesman for the United Nations mission in Mali confirmed that about 200 Malian soldiers and police had reached Kidal. Earlier in the day, Tuareg rebels occupying the town had returned to barracks. They'll be banned from patrolling there in the lead-up to elections on the 28th of July. The Malian army was chased out of Kidal by rebels last year. Their advance backed by Islamist militants prompted France to send troops to its former colony earlier this year.

联合国驻马里特派团的一位发言人证实，大约200名马里士兵和警察已达到基达尔。当天早些时候，占领该镇的图阿雷格叛军已返回兵营。他们已经被禁止在7月28日的选举筹备期间巡逻。去年马里军队被叛军赶出了基达尔。由于受到伊斯兰武装分子支援，他们的进军使得法国在上半年向其前殖民地出兵。

The anti-secret website Wikileaks says the fugitive American intelligence analyst Edward Snowden has applied to a further six countries for asylum. Mr Snowden, who's believed to have taken temporary refuge in the transit areas of Moscow airport, has already asked 21 other countries for asylum.

反秘密网站维基百科称，在逃的前美国情报分析师爱德华·斯诺登又向另六个国家申请了政治庇护。 据称斯诺登在莫斯科机场的中转区域暂时避难后，已经向21个国家申请政治庇护。

Portugal's coalition government appears to have survived a political crisis that threatened it with collapse as the country struggles to fulfil its tough international bailout conditions. A government spokesman says the Prime Minister Passos Coelho has reached an agreement with his centre-right coalition partner and Foreign Minister Paulo Portas, who earlier this week handed in his resignation. Details will be released on Saturday when the coalition partners meet. The deal has to be approved by President Cavaco Silva.