Shenzhou-20 astronauts back to Earth
The three astronauts of China's Shenzhou-20 mission landed safely on Earth aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft on Friday, marking the first successful implementation of an alternative return procedure in the country's space station program history.
The alternative plan was adopted after the original return vessel, the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, experienced a suspected impact from space debris. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) confirmed the return mission was a complete success.
By 5:21 p.m. (Beijing Time), the Shenzhou-20 crew, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, had all left the Shenzhou-21 return capsule. They had spent 204 days in orbit and are all in good health, the CMSA said.
5 Chinese nationals killed, 8 injured in traffic accident in Indonesia's Bali
Five Chinese nationals were killed and eight others injured early Friday in a single-vehicle traffic accident in Buleleng Regency in northern Bali, Indonesia, the Chinese Consulate General in Denpasar said, adding that it has activated an emergency response mechanism.
According to local police, the accident involved a minibus that crashed into a tree and tumbled down a slope at around 4:30 a.m. local time on the Denpasar-Singaraja road near Gitgit village. Officers from the Indonesian Red Cross, police and local residents rescued the injured passengers and transported them to nearby hospitals.
Police said the vehicle was carrying 14 people. The driver was an Indonesian national, while all 13 passengers were Chinese citizens.
Trump administration partially remove tariffs on 4 Latin American countries
The Trump administration has reached frameworks of bilateral trade agreements with Argentina, Guatemala, El Salvador and Ecuador, the White House said on Thursday.
Under the agreements, the United States will remove reciprocal tariffs on certain items that cannot be grown, mined or naturally produced in the United States; and the four countries agreed to cooperate with the United States or open up their markets in multiple areas.
Washington will also remove reciprocal tariffs on textiles and apparel products from Guatemala and El Salvador, according to the agreements.
Israel recovers hostage body from Gaza
Israel said Friday it recovered the body of a deceased hostage identified as Meny Godard held by militants in the Gaza Strip.
After completing the identification process, officials notified the family of Godard that his remains had been returned for burial, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
According to the Prime Minister's Office, Godard's body was handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza on Thursday night and later transferred to Israel, where forensic experts confirmed his identity.
Germany adds 150 mln euros to new Ukraine aid package
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Friday announced that Germany will contribute an additional 150 million euros (174.3 million U.S. dollars) to the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a NATO framework that enables allied countries to finance U.S. weapons for Ukraine.
Pistorius made the announcement at a joint press conference with several other European defense ministers. The new pledge follows Germany's earlier contribution of 500 million U.S. dollars to the PURL mechanism in August.
Reaffirming Berlin's long-term support for Kyiv, Pistorius said Germany plans to provide more than 11.5 billion euros in aid for Ukraine in 2026. According to the German Federal Foreign Office, Germany has made available or earmarked roughly 40 billion euros in military assistance as of September 2025.
Israeli wall construction breaches Lebanese territory: UNIFIL
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Friday confirmed that sections of concrete barriers recently erected by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) crossed into Lebanese territory, violating UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and Lebanon's sovereignty.
According to a UNIFIL statement, peacekeepers conducted a geospatial survey in October of a concrete T-wall installed by the IDF southwest of the southern Lebanese village of Yaroun.
The survey found that the barrier extended beyond the Blue Line, cutting off more than 4,000 square meters of Lebanese land from local residents.
