Activists seek release of refugee Bahraini footballer held in Thailand

Thai rights activists on Friday called for the release of a refugee footballer from Bahrain detained in Bangkok who may be deported back home where they say he could face persecution.

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VietJet plane makes troubled landing, minor injuries to some passengers

A VietJet Aviation JSC flight made a troubled landing on Thursday evening after the wheels on its front landing gear had "problems", with passengers reporting minor injuries, the carrier and Vietnam's aviation authority said on Friday.

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China rejects U.S. academic report calling for retaliatory action

Chinese media on Friday hit back at a U.S. academic report which urged the United States to engage in "tit-for-tat" retaliation to counter what it said was China's widening campaign for influence which threatened to undermine democratic values.

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Air New Zealand Christmas ad replicates Trump's U.N. laughter moment

An Air New Zealand advertisement released for the Christmas season this week takes a dig at U.S. President Donald Trump by portraying an American boy wearing a "Make Christmas Great Again" red cap being laughed at by other children on Santa's "naughty" list.

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Saudi crown prince meets India's Modi in Argentina, plans to ramp up investments

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and told him about plans to scale up investments in India's tech, farm and energy sectors, an Indian official and the Saudi news agency (SPA) said on Friday.

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Taiwan president says 'status quo' policy on China won't change after election drubbing

Taiwan's policy of maintaining the status quo with China won't change despite a drubbing at local elections for the ruling party, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Friday, adding democracy was the biggest difference with China.

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In abrupt switch, Trump cancels Putin meeting, cites Ukraine crisis

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday abruptly canceled a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Argentina, registering his disapproval of Russia's treatment of Ukraine and casting new uncertainty over U.S.-Russian ties.

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India says expects significant scaling up of Saudi investments

India expects Saudi Arabia to ramp up investments in several sectors including technology, farm and energy over the next couple of years, a senior Indian official said, after a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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UK PM May says focused on Dec. 11 Brexit vote, not alternatives

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday she was focused on persuading lawmakers to back her Brexit deal at a vote in parliament on Dec. 11 rather than preparing a plan B.

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South Korean conscientious objectors released on parole after landmark ruling

Dozens of South Korean conscientious objectors were released from jail on parole on Friday after a landmark court decision that conscience is a valid reason to refuse mandatory military service.

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Honduras court convicts seven men for killing indigenous activist

A Honduran court convicted seven people on Thursday for the 2016 murder of indigenous land rights campaigner Berta Caceres, who led opposition to the construction of a hydroelectric dam on the ancestral lands of her Lenca tribe.

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Syria says downs 'hostile targets' in suspected Israeli attack

Syrian air defenses shot down "hostile targets" on Thursday, state media said, in an area regional intelligence sources said contains Iran-backed assets, while Russian media said no Israeli jet had been downed as earlier reported.

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Optional warning light could have aided Lion Air engineers before crash: experts

An optional warning light could have alerted engineers about mechanical faults on Lion Air's Boeing 737 MAX jet that crashed last month, experts said, sparking an industry debate over whether installing the system should become mandatory.

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