China says Canada has questions to answer on judicial independence
China’s Foreign Ministry grabbed a chance to question the state of judicial independence in Canada on Friday, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government faced accusations at home that it had tried to intervene to stop a corruption trial.
China says hopes U.S., North Korea exercise patience, keep talking
China hopes that the United States and North Korea can exercise patience, meet each other halfway and continue to talk, China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday in a phone call, China’s foreign ministry said.
Election rival says Afghan President Ghani hindering peace deal
An influential former adviser to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, now a leading electoral rival, has accused his old boss of hampering peace with the Taliban by blocking efforts to include a broad range of voices in the process.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah slams Britain’s terrorist group listing
The Lebanese group Hezbollah condemned on Friday the British government’s decision to list it as a terrorist organization, saying the move showed “servile obedience” to the United States.
U.S.-backed SDF expects fierce battle in final IS enclave
The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) expect a fierce battle with Islamic State militants who are still holed up in the group’s last enclave in eastern Syria, Mustafa Bali, the head of the SDF media office, told Reuters on Friday.
Some 2,000 travelers still stranded in Bangkok after flights disrupted
About 2,000 travelers were still stranded in the Thai capital Bangkok on Friday and it will take a few more days to get them home after flights were disrupted by the latest conflict between Pakistan and India, airline officials said.
Deep earthquake with magnitude 7.1 strikes southern Peru
An earthquake with magnitude 7.1 struck southern Peru, 67 km north-northwest of Juliaca, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Australian ministers tumble out of politics as election looms
Australian Defence Industry Minister Steven Ciobo will not stand in elections due in May, a newspaper said on Friday, the latest high-profile resignation as opinion polls suggest Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s center-right government faces heavy defea…
Pakistan says to re-open airspace for commercial flights on Friday
Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority said airspace closed this week amid tensions with neighbouring India would re-open for commercial flights from 4 p.m. local time (1100 GMT) on Friday.
Battle rages in Mogadishu as hotel attack death toll nears 30
Heavy gunfire rang out across central Mogadishu on Friday as Somali troops battled to dislodge Islamist insurgents holed up next to a hotel they bombed the previous evening, and as the death toll stemming from that attack neared 30.
