Turkish court rules to release U.S. pastor Brunson
A Turkish court ruled on Friday to release the U.S. evangelical Christian pastor at the center of a bitter diplomatic row between Ankara and Washington, a move that could be the first step toward mending ties between the NATO allies.
U.S. treasurer, banks to attend Saudi conference amid media exit over missing journalist
The U.S. treasury secretary and top Wall Street banks will attend a Saudi investment conference even as top media companies and business leaders pull out after the disappearance of a Saudi journalist.
Russian UK envoy denies Kremlin tried hack computers and murder ex-spy
Russia’s ambassador to London denied on Friday that spies from his country’s military intelligence agency had tried to kill former double agent Sergei Skripal and hack various organizations across the world.
In sign of better relations, Rwandan heads Francophonie body
Rwanda’s foreign minister was named head of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) on Friday, a sign of slowly improving relations between Paris and Kigali a decade after the African nation turned its back on the French language.
Irish Brexit backstop must be short and time-limited: UK’s Raab
The Brexit backstop designed to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and European Union member the republic of Ireland, must be finite, short and time-limited, Britain’s Brexit minister said on Friday.
Swedish PM hopeful says could shed partners to form center-right government
Swedish Moderates leader Ulf Kristersson said on Friday he was prepared to form a government without other parties in the center-right Alliance coalition after last month’s general elections effectively resulted in a hung parliament.
France’s far-right says ready to work with former Trump aide Bannon
France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen met Donald Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon and backed his plan to advise euroskeptic parties ahead of next year’s European elections, a senior lawmaker in her party said on Friday.
Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter marries in Gatsbyesque splendor
Hollywood stars joined Queen Elizabeth and her family for Britain’s second major royal wedding this year, as the monarch’s granddaughter Princess Eugenie married wine merchant Jack Brooksbank.
Albania’s graveyard of MiGs to become NATO air base
Long the graveyard of its once mighty air force, Albania’s base at Kucova is set to become a NATO station – to the delight of its former airmen longing to hear the engines roar again.
U.N. says 833 children released by Nigeria militia group
A militia group fighting against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria has released 833 children from its own ranks, some as young as 11, the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF said on Friday.
