Hamas fires rockets, Israel bombs Gaza amid talk of truce
A Palestinian official said on Thursday armed factions in Gaza were prepared to halt a round of rocket attacks on southern Israel if the Israeli military stopped its strikes after two days of cross-border violence.
Poland’s president says will likely veto changes to election rules
Poland’s president will likely veto changes proposed by the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) designed to benefit big political parties in 2019 elections to the European Parliament, he said in remarks published on Thursday.
China to prosecute former official ‘obsessed with divination’
China will prosecute a former official who was “obsessed with divination” for corruption, the top graft-buster said on Thursday, in the latest warning to bureaucrats not to engage with what the Communist Party views as superstition.
Russia says West acting as judge and executioner in Skripal case
Russia’s delegation to the international chemical weapons watchdog said on Thursday that the West was acting as a prosecutor, judge and executioner in the case of the poisoning of a former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal.
Palestinian official says Gaza armed groups will end round of fighting if Israel reciprocates
A Palestinian official said on Thursday that armed groups in Gaza would stop the latest round of fighting with Israel if Israel ceased its attacks on the enclave.
Philippines to deport Australian academic blacklisted for protest
The Philippines has denied entry to an elderly Australian activist for being a “threat to public order” and would deport him, officials said on Thursday, the latest action against foreigners accused of protesting against the government.
Russian lawmaker says rocket engine exports to U.S. could be restricted: RIA
Russian lawmaker Sergei Ryabukhin said on Thursday Moscow could restrict exports of RD-180 rocket engines to the United States if Washington imposed new sanctions, the RIA news agency reported.
Unrealistic to set timetable for South China Sea code, says Chinese official
Talks on completing a code of conduct for the disputed South China Sea will be long and complex and it would be unrealistic to set a timetable, state media on Thursday cited a senior Chinese diplomat as saying.
Aftershock brings fresh trauma to Indonesia’s quake-hit Lombok
A magnitude 6.2 aftershock rocked Indonesia’s Lombok on Thursday, sparking fresh panic on the tropical tourist island after a series of tremors that have killed more than 150 people in the past two weeks.
Australia to help build Samoa parliament in latest Pacific aid pledge
(This version of Aug. 8 story has been refiled to clarify project funding in paragraph 8)
