Face value: Australians seek free portraits of Queen Elizabeth
Australians by the dozen are demanding portraits of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, after a news item drew attention to an obscure rule entitling them to such articles from local politicians.
China says Pacific aid has no political strings
China’s aid to countries in the Pacific has no political strings attached and is not aimed at any third party, the country’s foreign ministry said on Friday, after a think-tank said China has become the second-largest aid donor in the South Pacific.
Taliban fighters storm Afghanistan’s Ghazni
Heavily armed Taliban fighters attacked Ghazni city in central Afghanistan early on Friday, burning police checkpoints, shelling houses and business areas and seizing control of parts of the city before being beaten back, officials said.
Deal on Caspian Sea’s legal status to be signed on Sunday: Kremlin
The five countries which border the Caspian Sea will adopt a convention on its legal status on Sunday, a deal which has been under discussion for more than two decades, the Kremlin said in a statement on Friday.
Red Cross warns of food crisis in North Korea as crops fail in heat
A heat wave in North Korea has led to rice, maize and other crops withering in the fields, “with potentially catastrophic effects”, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said on Friday.
Goldman Sachs sees orderly Brexit with PM May getting deal through parliament
Goldman Sachs sees Prime Minister Theresa May clinching a Brexit deal on access to European Union markets for goods and getting it approved by the British parliament, though it cautioned that a disorderly exit and national election remained possible.
Indonesian president highlights nationalism, religiosity amid VP pick concerns
Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo, brandished his nationalist and religious credentials on Friday amid reports he had come under pressure from Islamic party allies to accept a conservative cleric as running mate in next year’s election.
Gaza ceasefire holds after two-day flare-up, protests expected
The Israel-Gaza border was quiet on Friday after an Egyptian-brokered truce ended a surge in violence that had shaken southern Israel and the Gaza Strip for two days.
Philippines to review Landing’s casino lease after Duterte orders halt
The Philippine justice minister has ordered a review of a lease agreement for a $1.5 billion casino project by Landing International Development after President Rodrigo Duterte abruptly halted it, saying it was unfavorable to the government.
Say what? Language hurdles plague two Koreas after years of division
When South Korean businessman Kim Yong-tae worked with North Koreans at the Kaesong Industrial Complex before it was closed in 2016, one of the biggest challenges was communicating in what is ostensibly a shared language.
