Johnson to meet Macron, Merkel next week
Reuters, London
British leader Boris Johnson will travel to meet his French and German counterparts on Tuesday and Wednesday next week, in his first foreign engagements since becoming prime minister last month, a Guardian reporter said on Friday.
Johnson is seeking to persuade European Union leaders to reopen Brexit talks or face the prospect of its second-largest member leaving abruptly on Oct. 31 with no deal in place on their future relations, a move businesses expect would cause major disruption.
Palestinian killed, 2 Israelis hurt in car attack
AP, Jerusalem
Israeli police fatally shot a Palestinian man Friday after he drove his car into two Israeli pedestrians in the West Bank, injuring them, and militants from the Gaza Strip fired at least one rocket toward southern Israel, the Israeli military said.
Israel’s national rescue service, known as Magen David Adom, said a man was severely hurt by the car and a woman was moderately injured. Army radio reported the victims’ ages as 17 and 19.
Taliban chief’s brother killed in Pak blast
AFP, Quetta
The Afghan Taliban leader’s brother was among four people killed in a blast at a mosque in southwestern Pakistan Friday, insurgent sources and a Pakistani official told AFP.
The Taliban have not officially commented, but an unofficial statement circulating among Taliban fighters on WhatsApp and seen by AFP confirmed the claim. The blast comes at a delicate moment as a deal between the insurgents and Washington to end America’s war in Afghanistan is believed to be imminent.
Eight killed in Ukraine hotel fire
AFP, Kiev
Eight people were killed and ten were injured in a hotel fire in Ukraine’s port city of Odessa early Saturday, emergency services said.
The fire broke out at 1.34 am (2234 GMT) in the southern city’s Tokyo Star hotel. Some 65 firefighters backed by 13 emergency vehicles put out the blaze three hours later. Emergency services said in a statement that eight people died and ten were injured.
