Leopold not to blame for Congo abuse, Belgian king’s brother says
The brother of Belgium’s king joined a swelling debate about its past on Friday by saying that King Leopold II, under whose rule millions of Congolese were killed or maimed, could not have “made people suffer” because he never visited his colony.
Northern Irishman to be extradited over Vietnamese truck deaths
An Irish court on Friday approved the extradition of Northern Irishman Ronan Hughes to face manslaughter charges in Britain over the deaths of 39 Vietnamese people found in the back of a truck near London last year.
Britain unveils plans to impose EU border checks in stages
Britain will introduce border checks with the European Union in stages from Jan. 1, reversing an original plan so it can now give companies struggling with the coronavirus crisis more time to fill out forms and pay tariffs.
Turkey slams ‘propaganda machine’ Twitter over removal of accounts
Turkey fiercely criticised Twitter on Friday for suspending more than 7,000 accounts that supported President Tayyip Erdogan, saying the company was smearing the government and trying to redesign Turkish politics.
New Lesotho PM Majoro says to focus on stability after scandal
Lesotho’s new prime minister Moeketsi Majoro said on Friday stabilising its political system was among his top priorities after replacing his scandal-hit predecessor last month.
France launches Sahel coalition to fight rising jihadi violence
France launched a coalition of West African and European allies on Friday to fight jihadi militants in the Sahel region, hoping more political cooperation and special forces would boost a military effort that has so far failed to stifle violence.
For gay stars of banned condom ad, no let-up in Poland’s LGBT rights clampdown
For Jakub Kwiecinski, a ban by Poland’s public broadcaster on a condom advert featuring him and his husband has come as no surprise, but it does make him uneasy about what targets a government clampdown on LGBT rights will pick on next.
China says opposes U.S. restrictions on Chinese students
China on Friday said it resolutely opposes any U.S. government move to restrict Chinese students from studying abroad, and urged the United States to do more things to enhance mutual exchanges and understanding.
Putin appeals to Russians’ core values as vote on extending term looms
President Vladimir Putin appealed to what he termed Russians’ core values on Friday, the country’s national day, as he sought to rally support for a vote on constitutional reforms that could potentially keep him in office until 2036.
Iran asks French experts to read black boxes of downed jet: official
Iranian investigators have asked France’s BEA air accident agency to read black boxes from a downed Ukrainian jetliner, Iran’s envoy to the United Nations aviation agency said.
