Saudi Arabia urges US restraint as Houthis attack ships in Red Sea
Saudi Arabia has asked the United States to show restraint in responding to attacks by Yemen’s Houthis against ships in the Red Sea, two sources familiar with Saudi thinking said, as Riyadh seeks to contain spillover from the Hamas-Israel war.
Argentina’s Milei says shutting central bank ‘non-negotiable’
Argentina’s President-elect Javier Milei said on Friday that the closure of the country’s central bank, a signature campaign pledge, was a “non-negotiable matter”, according to a statement from his office posted on social media platform X.
Police probing bomb threat at major New Jersey mall
Police in New Jersey are investigating a bomb threat at the American Dream Mall and all shoppers are being evacuated, Governor Phil Murphy said in a social media post on Friday.
Egypt president says future Palestinian state could be demilitarised
A future Palestinian state could be demilitarised and have a temporary international security presence to provide guarantees to both it and to Israel, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Friday.
Collapsed Indian tunnel had no safety exit, was built through geological fault
A tunnel which collapsed, trapping 41 workers in the Indian Himalayas this month, did not have an emergency exit and was built through a geological fault, a member of a panel of experts investigating the disaster said on Friday.
Dolls, doctors and helicopters await Israeli hostages at Gaza’s gate
The first Israeli women and children to go free from Gaza on Friday under a truce with their Hamas captors will be flown home under military guard, with measures meant to reduce the duress and attend to any immediate medical complications.
Canadian homeowners eye fixed-rate loans in ‘higher-for-longer’ era
The Bank of Canada’s warning that borrowing costs are likely to stay higher-for-longer has prompted anxious mortgage owners to turn to fixed-rate loans in the hope they will bring more stability to their finances after a choppy few years.
China offers visa-free entry for citizens of France, Germany, Italy
China will temporarily exempt citizens from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia from needing visas when visiting the world’s second-largest economy in a fresh move to spur post-pandemic tourism.
What is the humanitarian situation in besieged Gaza?
Israel and Hamas started a four-day ceasefire in Gaza on Friday with aid agencies hoping to use the pause in fighting to ramp up aid deliveries into the besieged enclave.
Dutch parties tackle tricky coalition talks after Wilders’ shock poll win
Dutch party leaders meet on Friday for the first time since anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders won Wednesday’s elections to begin the difficult and lengthy process of building a coalition.