World news today: 5 overnight developments from around the globe

A drone strike in Kabul last month killed as many as 10 civilians, including seven children, the US military said on Friday, apologising for what it called a “tragic mistake”. The Pentagon had said the Aug. 29 strike targeted an Islamic State suicide bomber who posed an imminent threat to US-led troops at the airport as they completed the last stages of their withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“Our investigation now concludes that the strike was a tragic mistake,” a top US general told reporters. He said he now believed it unlikely that those killed were members of the local Islamic State affiliate, ISIS-Khorasan, or posed a threat to US troops.

Also read | Taliban say Afghan boys’ schools to reopen, no mention of girls

2. France recalls ambassadors to US, Australia over submarine deal

Fallout of the Indo-Pacific deal signed between Australia, UK and US continued as France announced its decision to immediately recall its ambassadors to the US and Australia.

This comes after Australia scrapped a big French conventional submarine purchase in favour of nuclear subs built with US technology. Earlier Friday, a top French diplomat spoke of a “crisis” in relations with the US.

3. Multimillionaire real estate heir Robert Durst convicted of murder

A California jury on Friday found multimillionaire real estate heir Robert Durst guilty of murdering his best friend Susan Berman in 2000, the first homicide conviction for a man suspected of killing three people in three states over the past 39 years.

Robert Durst has been found guilty of murdering his best friend Susan Berman in 2000. (AP)

The trial came six years after Durst’s apparent confession was aired in the HBO television documentary series “The Jinx,” in which Durst was caught on a hot microphone in the bathroom saying to himself, “What the hell did I do? … Killed them all, of course.”

4. UK eases rules for vaccinated travellers, some benefit for India-UK route

The UK government has announced a major relaxation of international travel rules for vaccinated people coming in and out of England, with long-haul routes between India and the UK set to benefit.

From October 4, the current traffic light system of red, amber and green countries based on levels of Covid-19 risk will be scrapped and replaced with one red list only. The scrapping of an amber list, which is what India is currently on, means a reduced cost burden for travellers – especially for the Indian diaspora vaccinated in the UK – related to compulsory PCR tests.

5. Algeria’s former President Bouteflika dies at 84

Former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has died at 84, the presidency said on Friday, more than two years after he stepped down under pressure from mass protests and the army.

Former Algeiran President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. (Reuters File Photo)

Bouteflika, a veteran of Algeria’s war for independence, had ruled the North African country for two decades before his resignation in April 2019 after street demonstrations rejecting his plan to seek a fifth term. He had rarely been seen in public before his departure since a stroke in 2013.