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Rubio ramps up Ecuador support in tough anti-crime drive
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday promised security aid to violence-wracked Ecuador as he sought to rally the region behind a force-first anti-crime campaign following a US strike on a boat allegedly linked to Venezuela.

North Korea's Kim tells Xi hopes to 'steadily develop' ties: KCNA
North Korea's Kim Jong Un told China's President Xi Jinping that it was his "steadfast will" to "steadily develop" bilateral relations, state media said Friday, after the two leaders met in Beijing.
Trump defends RFK Jr, after heated Congress grilling
US President Donald Trump on Thursday threw his support behind his controversial health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., after he was grilled in Congress over decisions to fire scientists and overhaul the nation's vaccine policies.

Thai tycoon leads pack as parliament votes for new PM
Thailand's parliament is set Friday to vote in a right-wing tycoon as prime minister, ousting the nation's dominant political dynasty from office after their leader was sacked by court order.

Thai ex-PM leaves country before parliament votes on leadership
Thailand's influential former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Friday he has left the country by private jet, hours before his party looks set to be ousted from top office.

NZ army appeals soldier's 'inadequate' spying sentence
New Zealand's military said on Friday it had appealed a two year sentence for a soldier accused of attempted espionage, describing it as "manifestly inadequate".

Coalition of willing commits to Ukraine force if peace agreed
More than two dozen countries have pledged to join a force to deploy in Ukraine after any eventual peace deal with Russia, aiming to deter Moscow from again attacking its neighbour, leaders announced Thursday.
Trump's Fed pick plans to keep White House job while at central bank
Donald Trump's pick to join the Federal Reserve's board of governors said Thursday that he plans to take a leave of absence from his White House job while at the US central bank -- but vowed to uphold its independence.

In face of US 'threat,' how does Venezuela's military stack up?
With an ill-disciplined military and an outdated arsenal, Venezuela would be at a serious disadvantage in the event of an American invasion, experts say.

Israel military says controls 40 percent of Gaza City
The Israeli military on Thursday said it controls 40 percent of Gaza City, the largest urban centre in the Palestinian territory which it is preparing to conquer after nearly two years of devastating war.
Rubio ramps up Ecuador support in regional anti-crime push
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday promised security aid to Ecuador and announced terrorist designations as he vowed to ramp up a regional fight against criminals following a US strike on a boat allegedly linked to Venezuela.

UK court convicts asylum seeker of sexual assault
A court in England on Thursday convicted an Ethiopian asylum seeker of the sexual assault of a teenage girl and a woman, a case that ignited weeks of angry protests.

Trump's Fed governor pick vows to uphold central bank independence
Donald Trump's pick to join the Federal Reserve's board of governors pledged to uphold US central bank independence if confirmed -- but was coy about leaving his current White House role in the process, as the institution faces growing pressure from the president to slash interest rates.

France says 26 countries commit to Ukraine deployment if peace agreed
Over two dozen countries have pledged to take part in a force to be deployed in Ukraine after any peace accord with Russia, aiming to deter Moscow from ever again attacking its neighbour, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday.

White House quietly drops WTO, ILO from foreign aid cut list
The World Trade Organization and the International Labour Organization told AFP on Thursday that they no longer figured among entities targeted in the White House's latest round of foreign aid cuts.
Xi tells Kim North Korea's importance to China 'will not change'
President Xi Jinping reassured Kim Jong Un of North Korea's enduring importance to China on Thursday, saying Beijing's position "will not change" as the two leaders met for talks.

Europe pledges postwar 'reassurance force' for Ukraine: Macron
Over two dozen countries have pledged to take part in a force to be deployed in Ukraine after any peace accord with Russia, aiming to deter Moscow from ever again attacking its neighbour, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday.

US trade gap widest in 4 months as imports surged ahead of tariffs
The US trade deficit expanded more than expected in July to its widest in four months, government data showed Thursday, on a surge in imports before a fresh wave of President Donald Trump's tariffs kicked in.

Pro-Palestinian protests rock Spain's Vuelta cycling race
Spain's premier cycling race, La Vuelta, has been shaken by pro-Palestinian protests which riders believe have put them at risk and threaten to derail the event.

Europe leaders call Trump after Ukraine security guarantees summit
European leaders on Thursday spoke to US President Donald Trump after holding a summit with President Volodymyr Zelensky on security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a peace accord to end Russia's three-and-a-half war against Ukraine.

Berlusconi media group takes control of German broadcaster
Italy's MediaForEurope (MFE) announced Thursday it had taken control of one of Germany's biggest private broadcasting groups, as it seeks to build a pan-European group able to compete with streaming giants.

European court faults France over sexual consent rules
The European rights court on Thursday found France's laws on sexual consent are insufficient, ruling against the authorities in a case involving a woman who accused her boss of coercing her into an abusive relationship.

Rubio eyes tough-security ally in Ecuador
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to discuss bolstering security cooperation Thursday in violence-swept Ecuador, as he champions a shoot-first crackdown on the region's criminal groups.

Coffee and cash: how Hamas pays its civil servants in secret
One of thousands of public servants in Gaza's Hamas-run government, Karim, a public works ministry employee, received what seemed like an ordinary message on his phone: an invitation "for a coffee".

China's Xi holds talks with North Korea's Kim in Beijing
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un met for talks in Beijing on Thursday, state media reported, while the North Korean leader is in China on a rare foreign visit.

Zelensky meets European leaders on Ukraine security guarantees
European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were meeting in Paris on Thursday to agree security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a peace accord with Russia to end the three-and-a-half-year war sparked by Moscow's 2022 invasion.

China's Xi at centre of world stage after days of high-level hobnobbing
Two blockbuster events in China this week were a successful exposition of President Xi Jinping's vision of a new world order -- one that puts him and his country firmly at its centre while sidelining his rival the United States.

Campaign event for Argentina's Milei ends with skirmishes
Fist fights and hurled projectiles have marked the end of a campaign rally attended by Argentina's President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires ahead of midterm elections.

Open mic caught Xi, Putin discussing immortality
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin discussed life-prolonging organ transplants and immortality as they chatted before Beijing's massive military parade this week, in comments picked up by state media microphones.

Zelensky to meet European leaders after Putin vows to fight on
European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are to meet in Paris on Thursday in a new effort to pile pressure on Vladimir Putin after he vowed Russia will fight on in Ukraine if no peace deal is reached.

Peruvian ex-presidents face courts in separate corruption trials
Two former presidents in Peru are facing disparate outcomes in the corruption cases they face.

Ecuador eyes US security accords during Rubio's visit
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Ecuador Wednesday, as the government said it expects to sign "fundamental" security accords with the United States to tackle rampant cartel violence.