Indonesia’s Aceh resumes public caning despite pledge to curb access
Indonesia’s ultra-conservative Aceh province held a public caning of 15 people on Friday, including of two men who received 87 lashes each for having gay sex, despite an earlier pledge to restrict access and only hold canings inside prisons.
Portugal PM says no changing budget course ahead of 2019 election
Portugal’s government will stay the course of budget discipline next year while further improving pay and investment, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Friday, ruling out any major policy changes before a general election in 2019.
Eritrea to reopen embassy in Ethiopia’s capital on Sunday: state-affiliated broadcaster
Eritrea will reopen its embassy in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, on Sunday, Ethiopia’s state-affiliated broadcaster said on Friday, before a visit by Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki.
Germany will make sovereign decision on military spending, Maas says
Germany’s foreign minister rejected suggestions that Berlin could be browbeaten by U.S. President Donald Trump into hiking military spending, saying that his country would make its own “sovereign” decisions.
Trump praises strong relationship with UK’s May after damning her Brexit plan
President Donald Trump said on Friday he had a very strong relationship with British Prime Minister Theresa May, having earlier scorned her Brexit strategy which he said had probably killed off hope for a future U.S.-British trade deal.
Word ‘Russia’ goes unspoken as Mattis meets Balkan defense chiefs
Nobody at the meeting said the word “Russia” while the cameras were rolling. But Moscow was clearly on everyone’s mind as U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis sat down on Friday in Croatia with Balkan defense chiefs who accuse Russia of trying to sow inst…
Cameroon’s President Biya plans bid for seventh term in office
Cameroon’s President Paul Biya will run for re-election in October, he said on Friday, aiming to extend his 36-year rule and maintain his place on a shortening roster of long-standing African leaders.
U.S. President Trump says relationship with UK is very, very strong
After publicly criticizing British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit strategy, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the relationship was “very, very strong.”
Factbox: U.S. President Trump’s views on UK’s May, Brexit
U.S President Donald Trump delivered a withering verdict on British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit strategy, criticized the London mayor and tipped a minister who resigned this week as a future leader in an newspaper interview published on Friday….
South Korea says scrambles jets to intercept two Russian aircraft
South Korea said on Friday it had scrambled military jets to intercept two Russian military aircraft that entered the South’s air defense territory four times through the day.
