Ukraine gets 500 million euros in EU assistance: Poroshenko
Ukraine has received 500 million euros ($568 million) in assistance from the European Commission, President Petro Poroshenko said in a statement on Facebook.
No plans for Christmas Brexit vote: UK PM’s spokeswoman
Britain’s government does not plan to recall parliament over the Christmas period to push through legislation on leaving the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokeswoman said on Friday.
Germany: No suspicion of foul play after Merkel’s plane makes unscheduled landing
The German Air Force said on Friday that there was no suspicion of criminal activity after a malfunction forced a plane carrying Chancellor Angela Merkel to the G20 summit in Argentina to make an unscheduled landing.
Montenegro jails opposition leader over his refusal to testify
Montenegrin police arrested Nebojsa Medojevic, a lawmaker and a prominent opposition leader, on Friday after a high court ordered he serve a two-month jail sentence passed in March for refusing to testify about high-level corruption.
Fuel tax protesters block Brussels streets
Scores of Belgian protesters wearing the yellow vests that have become a symbol of anti-tax demonstrators in neighboring France blocked a key road junction in central Brussels on Friday, calling on the government to resign.
South Africa’s High Court rejects white farmers’ challenge to land expropriation plans
South Africa’s High Court rejected a legal challenge on Friday brought by a group representing white farmers against President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plans for land expropriation without compensation.
War monitor, Syrian media say anti-IS coalition air strikes kill dozens
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said air strikes by the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State in eastern Syria this week killed dozens of people in the jihadist group’s last major foothold.
Sri Lanka parliament halts ministers’ salaries to pressure disputed PM
Sri Lanka’s parliament on Friday voted to halt payment of ministers’ salaries and travel expenses, but it remained unclear how the move would impact the disputed government of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa whose ministers boycotted the vote.
China has ‘stern’ words with U.S. over ship in South China Sea
China said on Friday it had lodged “stern representations” with the United States after the U.S. Navy sailed a ship through the contested South China Sea, passing near islands claimed by China.
Russia thinks Trump canceled Putin meeting for domestic reasons
Russia believes U.S. President Donald Trump canceled his meeting with Vladimir Putin due to domestic issues rather than the Ukraine situation, its foreign ministry said on Friday.
