U.N. security council united on denuclearization of North Korea: Pompeo
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday the UN Security Council stands united in seeking a final, verified denuclearization of North Korea and that fully enforcing economic sanctions is key to eliminating nuclear weapons from the country.
Mugabe-era minister jailed for corruption in Zimbabwe
A former minister who served under Zimbabwe’s ex president Robert Mugabe was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to four years in jail on Friday, his lawyer said, the first conviction of a Mugabe-era official since he stepped down.
Lebanon must strike deal with Syria to use export crossing-minister
Lebanon must seek a deal with Syria so Lebanese exporters can reach wider Middle East markets via the Syrian border with Jordan now that Damascus has recovered state control of that frontier, Lebanon’s caretaker economy minister said on Friday.
Oil storage blast in central Iran kills two, fire contained: Tasnim
An explosion at an Iranian oil storage facility in the central industrial zone of Khomein on Friday killed two people and wounded another, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
Italy government reaches deal on top posts after market wobble
Italy’s coalition government, facing market turbulence over reports of internal divisions, finally agreed on Friday who should fill two key positions which carry great influence over the economy.
Trump on Putin meeting: it wasn’t all rosy
U.S. President Donald Trump defended his efforts to build a relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview broadcast on Friday, having invited the Russian leader for a second meeting despite an uproar over their first.
Turkey says it has new evidence of Gulen coup links, will discuss with U.S
Turkey has obtained fresh evidence linking supporters of a U.S.-based cleric to a 2016 failed military coup, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul said, adding he would discuss the new information with his U.S. counterpart later on Friday.
Poland pushes to replace Supreme Court judge who defied government
The Polish parliament adopted rules on Friday to expedite the naming of a new Supreme Court chief under a judicial overhaul by the ruling party that critics say undercuts democracy.
Under pressure at home, May demands new deal from EU on Irish border
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday called on the European Union to strike a new deal to prevent a hard border in Northern Ireland and demanded Brussels quickly respond to her plan to avoid a damaging no-deal Brexit.
China shows rising interest in Middle East during Xi visit to UAE
China and the United Arab Emirates signed a raft of financial, business and trade agreements on Friday during a visit by President Xi Jinping to the UAE that signaled energy-hungry Beijing’s rapidly growing interest in the Middle East.
