Riley is a writer and reporter for GZERO. When she isn’t writing about global politics, you can find her making GZERO’s crossword puzzles, conducting research on American politics, or persisting in her lifelong quest to learn French. Riley spends her time outside of work grilling, dancing, and wearing many hats (both literally and figuratively).
5: As part of its efforts to stop the Chinese purchase of Iranian oil, the Trump Administration has now sanctioned five refineries in Shandong province, a major hub for processing crude imported from the Middle East. The latest round of US sanctions came on Thursday, after Beijing slapped fresh restrictions on the export of critical minerals.
240: In a victory for free speech advocates, a UK court overturned the conviction of a man who was found guilty of a public order offense for burning a Koran and cursing Islam outside the Turkish consulate in London earlier this year. The man had been fined 240 pounds (about $325).
2: The Taliban government of Afghanistan has blamed Pakistan for two explosions in the country late Thursday night, one in the eastern province of Paktika and another in the capital, Kabul. The timing was noteworthy: on Friday, the Taliban announced expanded relations with India, Pakistan’s biggest nemesis.