Qatar pays Gaza salaries to ease tensions; Israel says money’s not for Hamas
A $15 million Qatari cash infusion was paid out to impoverished Palestinian civil servants in the Gaza Strip on Friday, offering Hamas a potential domestic reprieve though Israel said the money would not go to the dominant Islamist group.
Exclusive: Mystery company named by murdered Maltese journalist is linked to power station developer
In February 2017, the Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia wrote in her blog about a mystery company in Dubai called 17 Black Limited. She alleged it was connected to Maltese politicians, but offered no evidence.
Syrian government forces, rebels clash in northwest: Observatory, SANA
Syrian government forces clashed with rebels in Hama province on Friday in some of the heaviest fighting in the northwest in a year, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Truck full of gas cylinders set on fire, three stabbed in Australia terror attack
A Somali-born man set fire to a pickup truck laden with gas cylinders in the center of the Australian city of Melbourne on Friday and stabbed three people, killing one, before he was shot by police in a rampage they called an act of terrorism.
Aerospace suppliers play down spying row in chase for China riches
Western suppliers have tightened security precautions at China’s largest air show after U.S. accusations of industrial espionage rather than miss the chance to vie for a slice of the country’s heavy aerospace spending.
Myanmar authorities drop ‘incitement’ charges against journalists
A Myanmar court dismissed on Friday a case against three senior journalists from the country’s largest private newspaper, after authorities in the city of Yangon agreed to drop the charges.
Afghan Peace Council tells Taliban it is ready for talks: RIA
Members of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, a body overseeing peace efforts, met Taliban officials at a conference in Moscow on Friday and repeated President Ashraf Ghani’s offer of peace talks without pre-conditions.
Austrian colonel spied for Russia for decades, Vienna says
A senior Austrian military officer is believed to have spied for Moscow for decades, Vienna said on Friday, adding to a list of recent Russian espionage cases and souring relations with arguably the country’s closest ally in the EU.
EU observers say Madagascar presidential vote anomalies are marginal
No irregularities important enough to affect the result of Madagascar’s presidential election have been found, the head of an EU observer mission said on Friday, although he recommended a campaign spending cap to level the playing field in future.
DUP declines to say whether will support UK finance bill
The Northern Irish party which props up Prime Minister Theresa May’s government on Friday refused to say whether it would back the legislation underpinning the British budget in parliament next week amid a dispute with the government over Brexit.
