Following are the top foreign stories at 1730 hours

FGN14 CHINA-INDOPAK

China 'commends' Pakistan for showing restraint amid Indo-Pak tensions Beijing/Islamabad: China Thursday "commended" its close ally Pakistan for showing restraint after the Pulwama terror attack and urged New Delhi and Islamabad to refrain from aggravating the situation as Beijing weighed its options to take a stand on the fresh move in the UN Security Council to declare JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

FGN8 PAK-MUSHARRAF-JEM

Musharraf admits JeM carried out attacks in India during his tenure Islamabad: Pakistan's former president Pervez Musharraf has admitted that Masood Azhar-led Jaish-e-Mohammed carried out attacks in India during his tenure on the instructions of the intelligence agencies.

FGN12 PARAGUAY-INDIA-LD NAIDU

India, Paraguay pledge to strengthen multilateral cooperation to combat terrorism Asuncion: India and Paraguay have underlined the need to take firm measures against terrorism and pledged to strengthen multilateral cooperation to combat the scourge.

FGN4 AUS-INDIAN-LD DENTIST

Aus investigators struggle to determine final moments of murdered Indian-origin doctor Melbourne: The only suspect in the murder of a 32-year-old Indian-origin woman dentist in Australia travelled 400 kilometres with the sole purpose of seeing her despite knowing that she was dating another man, police have said as they struggled to determine her final moments.

FGN15 US-DRONES-TRUMP Trump junks Obama's policy on public report on drone-strike deaths in countries like Pakistan

Washington: President Donald Trump has revoked an Obama-era policy that required the US government publish an annual report on the number of civilians killed in drone strikes on high-value terrorists in countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia.

FGN23 LANKA-SIRISENA-WARCRIMES Lanka President takes U-turn over war crimes probe

Colombo: Taking a U-turn on Sri Lanka's pledges to the UNHRC over war-time atrocities against Tamils, President Maithripala Sirisena said on Wednesday the country needs "space" to settle its own problems "without interference" over the issue.