All about: Iran-al Qaeda, Trump expecting, Chilean abuse, Maldives accuses US

There is no evidence that Iran and al Qaeda cooperated in carrying out terrorist attacks, according to a study published on Friday that casts doubt on Trump administration statements about close ties between the two.

Study questions Iran-al Qaeda ties, despite U.S. allegations

There is no evidence that Iran and al Qaeda cooperated in carrying out terrorist attacks, according to a study published on Friday that casts doubt on Trump administration statements about close ties between the two. The conclusions of the study, by the New America, think tank, were based on detailed analysis of documents seized in Osama bin Laden's hideout after U.S. forces killed the al Qaeda leader in 2011.

Germany's top spy, not convinced migrants were hunted down in Chemnitz

Germany's domestic spy chief told a newspaper he was not convinced that migrants were hunted down in the eastern city of Chemnitz after the fatal stabbing of a German man, and suggested a video showing violence may be "targeted misinformation". Germany has been shaken by the most violent right-wing protests in decades after the German man was killed in Chemnitz in the state of Saxony on Aug. 26, for which two immigrants were arrested.

Trump expecting 'positive' letter from North Korea's Kim Jong Un soon

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday a letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which he believes will be positive, is on its way to him, a day after expressing fresh optimism about a denuclearization deal. "I know that a letter is being delivered to me, a personal letter from Kim Jong Un to me. It was handed at the border ... yesterday," Trump told reporters on Air Force One. "It's being delivered. It's actually an elegant way... and I think it's going to be a positive letter."

Ex-Catholic bishop named suspect in alleged Chilean abuse cover-ups

A former Chilean bishop staunchly defended by Pope Francis after being accused of helping to conceal sexual abuse has been named a suspect in two criminal investigations into alleged cover-ups, a prosecutor and another legal source said on Friday. Juan Barros, whose resignation as bishop of Osorno was accepted by the Pope in June alongside those of four other bishops, was interrogated as a suspect for more than three hours on Thursday in Santiago, city prosecutor Raul Guzman said.

Brazil presidential election was thrown into chaos after front-runner stabbed

Brazil's presidential race was thrown into chaos on Friday with the far-right front-runner Jair Bolsonaro in the serious but stable condition in an intensive care unit after being stabbed at a rally, his wound severe enough that his son said he was unlikely to be able to return to campaigning before the Oct. 7 vote. Bolsonaro, a congressman, was knifed in the stomach while being carried atop supporters' shoulders in a street rally on Thursday and was being treated at a Sao Paulo hospital. A Tweet posted on Bolsonaro's verified account said he was "doing well and recuperating."

Maldives accuses the U.S. of intimidation after comments on political prisoners

The Maldives accused the United States of intimidation on Friday, a day after Washington called for the release of "falsely accused" political prisoners and threatened action if the island's upcoming election is not free and fair. The Maldives is due to hold a presidential election on Sept. 23 when incumbent Abdulla Yameen will seek a second five-year term.

Serbia, Kosovo leaders abruptly cancel an EU-brokered meeting on a land swap

The presidents of Serbia and Kosovo abruptly called off a face-to-face meeting in Brussels on Friday, deflating hopes of a deal involving a land swap that could allow both nations to move toward EU membership. Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci was due to discuss the swap plan with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic for the first time in talks brokered by the EU's top diplomat Federica Mogherini.

Yemen's Houthis want U.N. guarantees for delegation as peace talks in Geneva stall

Yemen's Houthi group said on Friday it was still waiting for the United Nations to guarantee that the flight carrying its delegation to peace talks in Geneva would not be inspected by Saudi coalition forces and could evacuate some of its wounded. U.N.-brokered talks to end Yemen's three-year war was meant to begin on Sept. 6, but only representatives of the Yemeni government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi turned up as the Houthis insisted their plane to Geneva be allowed to evacuate dozens of injured people to neighboring Oman.

Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric demands end to violence as deadly protests rage

Iraq's most revered Shi'ite cleric called for a political shakeup in Baghdad and a halt to violence against demonstrators on Friday, after days of deadly protests tore through the main city in the south and shut the country's main seaport. Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the ultimate authority for most members of Iraq's Shi'ite majority, placed blame for the unrest with political leaders and said a new government should be formed, "different from its predecessors".

Russia, Turkey, Iran fail to agree on ceasefire for Syria's Idlib

The presidents of Turkey, Iran, and Russia on Friday failed to agree on a ceasefire that would forestall a Syrian government offensive in the rebel-held Idlib province which the United Nations fears could cause a humanitarian catastrophe involving tens of thousands of civilians. Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and Iran's Hassan Rouhani, meeting in Tehran for a summit of key foreign players in Syria's war, agreed in a final statement that there could be no military solution to the conflict and it could only end through a negotiated political process.

(With inputs from Reuters)