Briefly

UNITED STATES

Charges sought for Trump allies over riot

US lawmakers voted on Wednesday to recommend criminal contempt charges against two allies of former president Donald Trump, tightening the net on key figures from the previous administration accused of involvement in last year's deadly Capitol assault. Former White House trade director Peter Navarro and deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino were subpoenaed to answer questions before the congressional committee probing the riot, but did not show up. If successfully prosecuted, they would be facing several weeks of jail time and possible fines of up to $100,000.

CAUCASUS

Armenia, Azerbaijan gear up for peace talks

Armenia and Azerbaijan are preparing for peace talks, said officials in both countries on Thursday, reported Agence France-Presse. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met on Wednesday in Brussels for rare talks mediated by European Council President Charles Michel. Russia on Thursday welcomed the moves toward a treaty.

MIDDLE EAST

Turkish court halts Khashoggi trial

A Turkish court on Thursday halted the trial of Saudi suspects in the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and transferred it to Saudi Arabia. The decision was expected after the prosecutor called last week for the trial in absentia of 26 Saudi suspects to be transferred from Istanbul to Riyadh. The justice minister later endorsed the request, which was initially sought by Riyadh. In 2020, Saudi Arabia jailed eight people for between seven and 20 years for Khashoggi's murder.

Agencies Via Xinhua