• Canadian Government, Church Say They Hope North Korea will Release Pastor Hyeon Soo Lim Soon

  The Canadian government and one of the country's largest churches said on Thursday they hope the sentencing of a pastor to a life of hard labor in North Korea will at least bring new avenues of consular access after months without contact.

  

• Apple to Launch Apple Pay in China, Take on Alibaba, Tencent

  Apple Inc said it will launch its payment service in China as soon as 2016, pitting it against entrenched Chinese rivals Alibaba Group Holding and Tencent Holdings.

  

• Mother Teresa of Calcutta to Be Made Saint, Vatican Announces

  Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Nobel laureate known for dedicating her life to helping the poorest of the poor, will be made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican said on Friday.

  

• Afghan Forces Retake Key Helmand District from Taliban Terrorist Group

  Afghan forces drove Taliban militants out of the center of a district in the southern province of Helmand on Friday, as they fought back against insurgents who have threatened a series of districts over recent months.

  

• Virginia County Closes Schools as 'Islamic Religious Calligraphy' Homework Draws Backlash

  Schools in Augusta County, Virginia, closed on Friday as a safety precaution after a homework assignment asking students to copy Islamic religious calligraphy prompted an angry backlash from parents and threats from outside the district.