UK expands Hezbollah asset freeze, targets entire organization
Britain’s Treasury said it has designated the entire Hezbollah organization as a terrorist group under its Terrorism and Terrorist Financing rules, and as such its assets will be frozen.
Foreign powers to push Libyan rivals for truce in Berlin
Germany and the United Nations will push rival Libyan camps and their foreign backers fighting over the capital to agree on Sunday to a truce and monitoring mechanism as first steps towards peace, diplomats and a draft communique said.
Having fled bombing, Syrian children learn to read in borderland tent schools
Syrian teacher Ahmad al Hilal listens to his young pupils sitting on a mat reciting the Arabic alphabet in a makeshift school in a tent on the outskirts of a sprawling refugee camp city along the Turkish border.
France’s Bocuse restaurant loses third Michelin star after chef’s death
The flagship restaurant of celebrated French chef Paul Bocuse, who died nearly two years ago, has lost its coveted Michelin three-star rating for the first time in over five decades.
German foreign ministry backtracks after sense of humor failure
Social media can be a minefield for the strait-laced world of diplomacy, as the German Foreign Office just found out, when it was forced to delete a tweet and apologize for its contribution to a mildly off-color Twitter meme.
Iran can take fight beyond its borders, Khamenei says after U.S. strike, unrest
The Revolutionary Guards can take their fight beyond Iran’s borders, the supreme leader said on Friday, responding to the U.S. killing of a top general and to unrest at home over the accidental downing of an airliner.
Ukrainian PM offers to quit after tape suggests he criticized president
Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk offered his resignation on Friday after an audio recording suggested he had criticized the president, but then appeared to indicate that he might keep his job.
Greece tells Haftar to take constructive stance at Berlin conference
Greece encouraged Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar to be constructive at an upcoming conference in Berlin to try end the war over Tripoli, its foreign minister said on Friday after meeting the commander in Athens.
Syria ceasefire has failed as civilians killed daily: U.N. rights boss
United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet called on Friday for an immediate cessation of hostilies in Idlib, saying that the latest Syrian ceasefire had “yet again failed to protect civilians”.
U.S. ambassador becomes mustachioed face of South Korean discontent
The U.S. ambassador to South Korea drew criticism from the highest levels of government in Seoul on Friday for suggesting that Seoul consult with Washington about the possibility of reopening tourism with North Korea.
