Brazil impeachment committee backs ousting Rouseff; China slams G7 statement on maritime disputes: Top stories today

With UN envoy in Damascus, IS takes Syrian town from rebels: Islamic State militants recaptured a vital border crossing in northern Syria and shot down a government warplane in the country’s west Monday as the U.N.’s special envoy urged the warring parties to respect a fragile cease-fire ahead of peace talks set to resume in Geneva this week. U.N. Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura’s plea came amid stepped up fighting around the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and elsewhere in the country’s northern and western provinces. READ STORY

Brazil impeachment committee backs ousting President Dilma Rousseff: A congressional committee recommended impeachment of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, setting the stage for a crucial vote in the lower house to decide whether she should face trial. The committee voted 38 to 27 in favor of Rousseff’s ouster. READ STORY

Dubai’s Islamic authorities issue fatwa against stealing wifi from neighbours: Dubai’s top religious authorities said that stealing WiFi from your neighbour would not be proper Islamic conduct. That’s according to a religious edict known as a fatwa from Dubai’s Islamic Affairs & Charitable Activities Department. It was posted online on the department’s website on Monday as a response to a question asked by an anonymous reader. READ STORY

Research reveals Zika virus to be ‘scarier’ than anticipated: Dr. Anne Schuchat, a deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters the type of mosquito in which the virus is carried is present in more US states than initially thought. She said what authorities are learning about the virus is “scarier than we thought.” READ STORY