Quake rattles southern Costa Rica, Panama; no damage reported
A magnitude 6.0 quake struck southern Costa Rica on Friday, close to the border with Panama, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damages in the two Central American countries.
Taiwan’s president lauds Belize amid dwindling support
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen thanked the government of Belize on Friday for backing Taiwan’s claim to independence from China for 29 years.
U.N. chief suggests options for improved Palestinian protection
The protection of Palestinian civilians could be improved by the deployment of U.N.-mandated armed forces or unarmed observers, a beefed-up U.N. civilian presence or expanded U.N. assistance, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote in a report on Frid…
U.S. judge approves plan to reunite separated immigrant families
A federal judge on Friday approved a plan to reunite hundreds more families who were separated by border officials after they entered the United States from Mexico.
U.S. raises $300 million from allies for Syria stabilization
The United States said on Friday it had secured $300 million from coalition partners to help stabilize parts of Syria retaken from Islamic State, after President Donald Trump demanded that allies help carry the costs of the war.
First a wedding, then hard work: Putin to visit Germany’s Merkel
Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday for talks about the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, as well as the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project that has drawn U.S. ire.
Turkey’s lira falls 3 percent, Trump won’t take pastor’s detention ‘sitting down’
Turkey’s battered lira weakened 3 percent on Friday after a Turkish court rejected an American pastor’s appeal for release, drawing a stiff rebuke from President Donald Trump, who said the United States would not take the detention “sitting down”.
China’s top diplomat says cooperation with Iran to continue: Xinhua
China will continue its cooperation and relations with Iran, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday, citing a statement from Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi.
S&P lowers Turkey’s credit rating deeper into junk territory
Standard & Poor’s said on Friday it had cut Turkey’s sovereign credit rating deeper into “junk” territory, citing extreme lira volatility and forecasting a recession next year, adding to the country’s woes as it deals with a currency crisis.
Moody’s downgrades Turkey to Ba3, assigns negative outlook
Moody’s cut Turkey’s sovereign credit rating deeper into “junk” territory on Friday, citing a weakening of public institutions and the related reduction in the predictability of policy making in a country which is facing a currency crisis.
