Italy appeals court clears Berlusconi in sex trial
An Italian appeals court on Friday overturned Silvio Berlusconi's conviction on charges of abuse of office and paying for sex with a minor, in a significant legal victory for the former prime minister. The Milan court unexpectedly threw out the guilty verdict handed down by a lower tribunal last year, which had sentenced Berlusconi to seven years in jail and banned him from holding public office.
AIDS community mourns as top experts feared killed in downed plane
The world of AIDS research was in shock on Friday after dozens of leading HIV experts were feared killed when a Malaysian plane was shot down over Ukraine, fuelling concerns that research on curing the disease could suffer. Among them was Joep Lange, who researched the condition for more than 30 years and was considered a giant in the field, admired for his tireless advocacy for access to affordable AIDS drugs for HIV positive patients living in poor countries.
Typhoon slams into southern China, one dead
A super typhoon slammed into China on Friday killing one person, as the government ordered an all-out effort to prevent loss of life from a storm that has already killed at least 64 people in the Philippines. Typhoon Rammasun, with winds of up to 180 kph, made landfall at Wenchang city on south China's island province of Hainan on Friday afternoon, the National Meteorological Center said on its website.
Ousted Thai PM Yingluck rejects charge of negligence on graft
Former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra spoke to the media on Friday for the first time since her government was ousted in a May coup, rejecting charges she was negligent in stemming corruption. Yingluck is the younger sister of another deposed prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, whose nearly 10-year struggle for power with the royalist establishment has subverted stability and divided a country once seen as a surging economic "tiger".
US, German views on spying differ but still firm allies: Merkel
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that Germany and the United States had differing views on data protection after new allegations of US spying emerged this month but added that the partnership with America was nonetheless very important. "We have different opinions on an area of cooperation between our services and also on the issue of security and protection of personal data, but that doesn't change the fact that the US is our most important ally," she said at a news conference in Berlin.
IMF sees decision on $1.4 billion tranche to Ukraine in weeks
The International Monetary Fund expects to decide within weeks on issuing the second tranche of a $17 billion bailout to Ukraine, whose economy is likely to contract by 6.5% this year, its Kiev mission chief said on Friday. Ukraine, which is fighting a pro-Russian separatist rebellion in the east, received $ 3.2 billion in May as the first tranche of the two-year aid package intended to shore up depleted foreign currency reserves and support the state budget.
Israel steps up Gaza ground offensive, civilian casualties grow
Israel intensified its land offensive in Gaza with artillery, tanks and gunboats on Friday and warned it could "significantly widen" an operation Palestinian officials said was killing ever greater numbers of civilians. Palestinian health officials said 27 Palestinians, including a baby, two children and a 70 year old woman, had been killed since Israel sent ground forces into the densely-populated strip of 1.8 million Palestinians on Thursday.
World leaders demand answers after airliner downed over Ukraine with 298 dead
World leaders demanded an international investigation into the shooting down of a Malaysian airliner with 298 people on board over eastern Ukraine in a tragedy that could mark a pivotal moment in the worst crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War. Two U.S. officials said Washington strongly suspected the Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 was downed by a sophisticated surface-to-air missile fired by Ukrainian separatists backed by Moscow.
Manila urges unity for South East Asian nations in China sea dispute
The Philippines is pushing for a meeting among four Southeast Asian nations with conflicting claims to waters in the South China Sea so that they can hammer out a common stand in dealings with China, Manila's foreign minister said on Friday. Manila is waging a territorial dispute with China over the Spratlys and the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, an area believed to be rich in oil and natural gas deposits as well as fisheries resources.
Syrian army, Islamic State clash near army airport: monitor
Syria's army clashed with Islamic State fighters outside a government-controlled military airport on Friday, a monitoring group said, as the al Qaeda splinter group seeks to strengthen its grip on the east of the country. Deir al-Zor airport is one of the last key strategic locations in the province out of the control of Islamic State, which has also seized swathes of territory across the border in northern and western Iraq.
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