Afghan forces clash with Taliban to retain control over military base
At least nine Taliban insurgents, including three suicide bombers were killed by the Afghan forces in a bid to prevent a complex attack by the hardline Islamist group on a military base in southern Afghanistan, officials said on Friday.
Death toll from Al Shabaab suicide car bomb in Somalia rises to 29 – police
The death toll from an Al Shabaab suicide car bombing at a Mogadishu hotel rose to 29 with 80 wounded, police said on Friday, as a gun battle raged at the site of the blast between fighters of the militant group and Somali troops.
Measured North Korea media over failed summit signals Kim not about to walk away
North Korean state media on Friday brushed over the lack of a summit deal for leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, focusing on constructive talks and signaling Pyongyang was not about to walk away from negotiations.
Downed Indian pilot to be returned later on Friday: Pakistan minister
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said a downed Indian pilot will be handed over to Indian authorities later on Friday in an effort to de-escalate a crisis between the nuclear armed neighbours.
Pakistani minister boycotts Islamic council meeting over Indian presence
Pakistan’s foreign minister said on Friday he would not attend a meeting of foreign ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Abu Dhabi this weekend because his Indian counterpart had been invited to the event.
Pompeo assures Philippines of U.S. protection in event of sea conflict
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured the Philippines on Friday it would come to its defense if it came under attack in the South China Sea, reaffirming a defense code that Manila’s security chiefs have sought to revise.
South Korea to work with U.S. and North Korea after failed nuclear talks
South Korea will work with the United States and North Korea to ensure they reach agreement on denuclearization, the South’s president said on Friday, a day after talks between the U.S. and North Korean leaders collapsed over sanctions.
Explainer: North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear complex takes center stage in stalled talks
One of the most visible parts of North Korea’s nuclear program, the Yongbyon reactor complex is a central point of contention for diplomats trying to resurrect a deal after U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un’s Vietnam summit ended without agre…
Gun battle rages between Al Shabaab and Somali troops after hotel attack
A gun battle raged in Mogadishu on Friday between Somali soldiers and Al Shabaab fighters, holed up in a building next to a hotel they had hit with a suicide car bomb the previous evening.
Green economy? Thai party campaigns on marijuana as cash crop
Anutin Charnvirakul thinks he has hit on a winning issue for Thailand’s election next month – promoting cannabis farming now that the Southeast Asia nation has legalized medical marijuana.
