MOSCOW -- Russia on Friday denounced Washington's intention to impose new sanctions against Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers over last year's Kerch Strait incident as "pointless and harmful."

"Representatives of American political circles continue to put forward anti-Russian initiatives ... There is no benefit from them, as well as from all other attempts by Washington to put pressure on Russia," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. (Russia-U.S.-Sanctions)

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BERLIN -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday described U.S. President Donald Trump's tweets on four Democratic congresswomen as something that "counteracts America's strength".

She made the remarks during a speech at the yearly German Federal Press Conference in Berlin. (Germany-U.S.-Trump)

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LUSAKA -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Friday fired his sports minister barely a few days after the firing of the finance minister.

In a cabinet reshuffle announced by his office, the Zambian leader has fired Moses Mawere who was Minister of Youth, Sport and Child Development and replaced him with Emmanuel Mulenga, a ruling party lawmaker. (Zambia-Cabinet-Reshuffle)

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BAGHDAD -- Turkish warplanes on early Friday shelled positions outside the disputed town of Makhmour in northern Iraq, the Iraqi military said.

The bombardment started after midnight on positions in Makhmour Mountain, some 70 km southeast of Mosul, the capital of Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, the media office of the Joint Operations Command said in a statement. (Iraq-Turkey-Air Strikes) Enditem