South Korea
Samsung recall expected
Samsung will issue a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone as soon as this weekend after its investigation on explosion claims found batteries were at fault, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News. Samsung Electronics declined to comment on the report Friday, but said it was conducting the inspection with its partners. Shipments of the Galaxy Note 7 were delayed after reports that batteries in some of the jumbo smartphones exploded while they were being charged. Samsung launched the latest version of the Note series just two weeks ago.
SYRIA
Government retakes town
Syria’s government secured a deal to restore its authority over a rebellious Damascus suburb on Thursday. Moadamiyeh’s residents agreed to let President Bashar Assad’s government restore its security presence and political institutions in the suburb, according to Hassan Ghadour, a resident and leading negotiator of the deal. Ghadour said 200 gunmen who did not wish to give up their arms would be allowed safe passage to rebel-held areas in Syria’s northwestern Idlib and Aleppo provinces. The implementation of the agreement is expected to begin Friday.
EGYPT
Mothers protest shortages
With crying babies in their arms, dozens of mothers rallied in Cairo on Thursday to denounce severe shortages of subsidized baby formula, a protest underscoring how austerity measures aimed at healing the country’s ailing economy are hitting ordinary Egyptians hard. Last month, the International Monetary Fund initially agreed to extend to Egypt a $12 billion loan over three years. Cuts in subsidies are believed to be part of the reform critical in securing the loan.
GERMANY
Bird says ‘auf wiedersehen’ Ronny the stork, who spent the summer pecking at windows and cars as he attacked his own reflection, has flown south. Ronny’s persistent pecking in Glambeck, north of Berlin, brought him minor celebrity status after he landed in early May. Local residents closed their doors and windows and left cars in the garage to protect them from Ronny’s scratches. News agency dpa reported that Mayor Hilde Peltzer-Blase said Thursday that Ronny joined the annual southward migration last week. She said camera teams crowding the village caused more commotion than the bird.
Compiled from wire reports.