China ready to strengthen strategic communication with DPRK, says Premier Li
Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday that China stands ready to strengthen high-level exchanges and strategic communication with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during his meeting with Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK.
Li arrived on Thursday to attend the 80th anniversary celebrations of the WPK and pay an official goodwill visit to the DPRK.
Israeli gov't approves Gaza ceasefire deal
The Israeli government on early Friday approved a ceasefire deal with Hamas to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of all remaining hostages.
Under the terms of the agreement, a copy of which was obtained by Xinhua, the ceasefire is now in effect.
"The government now approved the framework for the release of all the hostages -- both the living and the deceased," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
Trump suggests expelling Spain from NATO
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that Spain be expelled from NATO for refusing to increase its defense spending.
"They have no excuse not to do this," Trump told reporters at the White House during a meeting with visiting Finnish President Alexander Stubb. "Maybe you should throw them out of NATO frankly."
"You people are gonna have to start speaking to Spain," Trump said. "You have to call them and find why are they a laggard."
Under pressure from Trump, NATO members in June agreed to raise their military spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product by 2035.
Russia to pay compensation related to Azerbaijani jet crash: Putin
Fragments of detonated Russian missiles may have caused the crash of an Azerbaijani passenger jet in December, and Moscow will pay compensation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.
In a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe, Putin discussed the causes of the accident with Aliyev, saying Russia was tracking three Ukrainian drones crossing its border then and "technical malfunctions" of Russia's air defense system may have been a factor in the crash.
Two missiles exploded near the plane, possibly through the self-destruction mechanism, Putin said, adding that missile fragments most likely led to damage to the aircraft.
13 killed in paramilitary strike on mosque in Sudan's El Fasher: volunteers, eyewitness
At least 13 people were killed and more than 21 injured in shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that targeted a mosque in the city of El Fasher, western Sudan, volunteers and eyewitnesses said on Thursday.
"The Abu Shouk Mosque in El Fasher was shelled late Wednesday, killing at least 13 civilians and injuring more than 21," the Abu Shouk Camp Emergency Room, a volunteer group, said in a statement.
The group said the mosque had been sheltering dozens of families who had fled the Abu Shouk neighborhood after the RSF forces recently advanced into the area.
Hungarian writer Krasznahorkai wins 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature
Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the second Hungarian author ever to receive the honor, the Swedish Academy announced on Thursday.
Krasznahorkai was recognized "for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art," the academy said in a statement.
Born in 1954 in the small town of Gyula in southeastern Hungary near the Romanian border, Krasznahorkai achieved his literary breakthrough with his debut novel "Satantango" (1985). The book became a sensation in Hungary and established him as one of Central Europe's most distinctive literary voices.
Policeman killed in terrorist attack in NW Pakistan
A police officer was killed in an attack on a security check post in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said Thursday.
The assailants targeted the Khutti check post in Dera Ismail Khan district from two directions late Wednesday night, within the jurisdiction of Dera Town Police Station, according to local police.
Check post in-charge Ahmad Nawaz sustained critical injuries in the assault and later died at a local hospital, a police spokesperson confirmed to Xinhua.■
