Top Ukrainian presidential aide submits resignation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Friday that the head of his office Andriy Yermak has submitted a letter of resignation.

"I want there to be no questions about Ukraine. Therefore, the following internal decisions are being made today: first -- the presidential office will be rebooted. The head of the office, Andriy Yermak, has submitted his resignation," Zelensky said in a video address.

Earlier in the day, anti-corruption authorities conducted searches in Yermak's home as part of an investigation, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau said, without giving further details.

Israeli raid on Damascus countryside kills at least 13, triggers displacement

Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire killed at least 13 people and wounded more than two dozen others in the village of Beit Jinn, in the southwestern countryside of Damascus, early Friday, Syrian authorities, rescue teams, and eyewitnesses said.

The assault followed an Israeli ground incursion that prompted clashes with local residents.

Syrian health authorities reported that the bodies of 13 "martyrs" and more than 24 injured had been transported to hospitals so far, adding that the toll remained preliminary as search operations continued.

ICC rejects to release Philippine ex-leader Duterte

The International Criminal Court rejected an appeal on Friday to release the former Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte on grounds of age and declining health.

"The humanitarian grounds advanced by the defense were not sufficiently set out in the case at hand," Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza, presiding ICC judge, said.

Duterte, who served as president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, was detained and transferred to the ICC in March following an arrest warrant over his controversial "war on drugs" campaign, a move he has challenged.

Guinea-Bissau's transitional president appoints new PM

Transitional President of Guinea-Bissau Horta Inta-A on Friday signed a presidential decree in the capital, Bissau, appointing Ilidio Vieira Te as prime minister, who will also concurrently serve as finance minister.

The appointment takes immediate effect, the Presidency's Office of Communication and Public Relations said in a statement, adding that Inta-A made the decision "in the exercise of his powers and responsibilities."

Born in 1983 in the Biombo Region of western Guinea-Bissau, Te is a member of the Social Renewal Party, the country's third-largest political party. He served as finance minister from July 2022 until the recent political shift in the country.

Flood death toll in southern Thailand hits 145

The death toll from severe flooding in southern Thailand has hit 145, authorities said on Friday as water levels begin to recede and rescue operations continue.

During a press briefing, government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat said that fatalities have been reported across eight southern provinces, with Songkhla recording the highest toll at 110.

According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, the widespread southern flooding has affected an estimated 3.54 million people, even though water levels in several areas have receded.

Flash floods, landslides leave 174 dead, 79 missing in Indonesia

The number of fatalities from floods and landslides that struck Indonesia's Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra has risen to 174, with 79 people still missing and 12 others injured, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said on Friday.

BNPB Chief Suharyanto said during a press briefing that North Sumatra has recorded the highest number of victims, with 116 deaths and 42 people missing. Several affected areas remain inaccessible due to damaged roads and ongoing landslides, slowing rescue operations.

"It is possible that more victims are located in landslide sites that remain inaccessible," Suharyanto said.