China defends Xinjiang centers for Muslims, but aims to ‘downsize’
Chinese vice foreign minister Le Yucheng on Friday defended what China calls its vocational training centers in Xinjiang for Muslims and said its “campuses” would be closed down gradually as extremist ideology is vanquished in the region.
Algeria ruling party turns its back on Bouteflika: he is ‘history’
Algeria’s ruling FLN party showed more signs of turning its back on Abdelaziz Bouteflika as new protests against him began on Friday, with one senior party figure saying in an interview overnight the long-serving president was “history now”.
Bolivia’s Morales says Venezuela needs dialogue, not foreign meddling
Bolivia’s leftist President Evo Morales, a supporter of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, said on Friday that European nations should support a dialogue within the country.
Cricket: Bangladesh team narrowly avoid mosque shooting, test called off
The Bangladesh cricket team narrowly avoided being caught up in a shooting at a mosque in Christchurch on Friday that left 30 dead and forced the cancellation of a test match against hosts New Zealand.
Protesters arrested in Hong Kong over proposed China extradition law
Hong Kong police on Friday arrested five women who staged a protest inside the government’s headquarters over a proposal to allow fugitives to be extradited to mainland China, stoking human rights concerns.
Backstory: The frenzy to cover China’s stage-managed parliament session
For many journalists, China’s once in a year parliamentary meeting starts with a sharp-elbowed sprint up the stairs.
‘Worse than Voldemort’: Global students’ strike targets climate change
Tens of thousands of school students around the world walked out of classes on Friday in a global strike to protest against government inaction on climate change.
France steps up security near religious sites after New Zealand attacks
French authorities have stepped up security measures near religious sites after deadly attacks against two mosques in New Zealand left 49 people dead, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said on Friday.
UK officers ready to help after New Zealand shootings, police chief says
British counter-terrorism officers are ready to help their counterparts in New Zealand to investigate the shootings at New Zealand mosques which killed at least 49 people on Friday, Britain’s most senior counter-terrorism officer said.
SEC sues Volkswagen, ex-CEO over alleged emissions fraud on investors
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is suing Volkswagen (VW) and its former chief executive Martin Winterkorn over the German automaker’s diesel emissions scandal, alleging a “massive fraud” on U.S. investors.
