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Tel Aviv (AFP) – Drone powerhouse Israel is translating the knowhow of air force veterans to the delivery of sushi and ice-cream, as companies tap their expertise to avoid collisions in increasingly crowded skies.

Kandahar (Afghanistan) (AFP) – +COMPLETES VID9PQ6EY+ Ambulances drive through downtown Kandahar in Afghanistan after a Shiite mosque was hit by explosions, killing at least 32 and wounding 53. The cause of the blasts has not been immediately identified, but they come exactly a week after a suicide bomb attack on Shiite worshippers in the northern city of Kunduz, which was claimed by the Islamic State group.

Idlib (Syria) (AFP) – “I didn’t know what a marathon was until today”, says one of a group of Syrian orphans taking part in a race in the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib. The event has been organised by an NGO in a bid to introduce children who have lost their parents in Syria’s ongoing conflict to different kinds of sports. Nearly 500,000 people have died in the conflict since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of peaceful demonstrations.

Warsaw (AFP) – South Korean pianist Su Yeon Kim, 27, is participating for the second time in the Fryderyk Chopin International Competition in Warsaw, Poland. After reaching the semi-final in 2015 and thanks to her experience, she hopes to go even further this year.

Green Bank (United States) (AFP) – The tiny US town of Green Bank is home to the over six-decade-old Green Bank Observatory, which requires radio silence to be able to peer deep into space to observe stars and black holes. Cell phone service is effectively barred, but the West Virginia town is changing: not everyone agrees about what comes next for this seeming digital age refuge.

Kaohsiung (Taiwan) (AFP) – Taiwanese residents voice anguish and outrage after 46 people perished in an inferno that tore through a dilapidated housing block, as investigators searched for what sparked the island’s deadliest fire in decades.

Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) – While tourists have long been able to mingle freely unofficially in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, locals were confined to single-sex beaches. But now, four years into a reform drive aimed at improving the country’s image, they are enjoying more freedoms.

Beijing (AFP) – A herd of Pere David’s deer — also known as Milu in Chinese — roam in Beijing’s Nanhaizi Park, as the species, which was once extinct in China’s wilderness, makes a remarkable comeback thanks to conservation efforts.

Los Angeles (AFP) – US real estate scion Robert Durst was sentenced Thursday to life in prison with no possibility of parole for the killing of his best friend.

Kongsberg (Norway) (AFP) – Police in southeastern Norway are investigating and questioning witnesses after a man armed with a bow and arrows killed five people and wounded two others. Authorities say the suspect had converted to Islam and likely acted alone. Investigations are ongoing but authorities say they believe it to be an “act of terror.”

Jakarta (AFP) – Workers from Indonesia’s Mosque Council adjust the volume of loudspeakers at mosques in Jakarta as online complaints about noisy loudspeakers are increasing, despite a lack of anonymity and fear of a backlash meaning there are no reliable official statistics. Aware of the growing discord, the Indonesian Mosque Council is deploying teams to tackle mosque sound systems around the nation.

El-Gouna (Egypt) (AFP) – A fire blazes at the site of the main pavilion of the El Gouna film festival on Egypt’s Red Sea coast, briefly threatening its cancellation before later being brought under control.