China's central bank said Friday that financial risks from China Evergrande Group's debt problems are "controllable" and unlikely to spill over, amid growing investor concerns that the crisis could ripple through other developers.

Evergrande is the world's most indebted developer, with over $300 billion in liabilities. The company has missed a third round of interest payments on its offshore bonds this week, spooking investors globally and sparking concern that other companies in the sector may also default on payments.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday there must be no rush in officially recognizing the Taliban as the new rulers of Afghanistan, but emphasized the need to engage in talks with them.

Speaking during a video call with leaders of other ex-Soviet nations, Putin said that "the interim government formed by the Taliban regrettably doesn't reflect the entire spectrum of Afghan society," but also noted their pledge to hold elections, and their efforts to restore the functioning of state structures.

Italy's new national airline, ITA, flew its inaugural flights Friday and unveiled its brand and logo, recycling the red, white and green of its Alitalia origins as it tries to chart a new future for the troubled sector.

ITA, or Italy Air Transport, officially launched after the bankrupt Alitalia landed its final flights Thursday night, ending a 74-year business history that has been marred in recent years by a series of financial crises.

The leaders of Japan and South Korea spoke by phone on Friday, saying they would look to deepen ties in the face of regional security threats, despite badly strained bilateral relations.

Although they share a key ally in the U.S. and common concerns over facing China, ties between Tokyo and Seoul have suffered over the legacy of Japan's World War II atrocities and disagreements over compensation for wartime Korean laborers during the Japanese occupation.

British police say a man has been arrested after a stabbing in eastern England on Friday. Multiple media reports say the victim is a Conservative lawmaker attacked during a meeting with constituents.

The Essex Police force said officers were called to reports of a stabbing in Leigh-on-Sea just after noon Friday. It said "a man was arrested and a knife recovered.

Israel is quietly advancing controversial settlement projects in and around Jerusalem without making major announcements that could anger the Biden administration. Critics say the latest moves, while incremental, pave the way for rapid growth once the political climate changes.

On Wednesday, as Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met with U.S. officials in Washington, a local planning committee in Jerusalem approved the expropriation of public land for the especially controversial Givat Hamatos settlement, which would largely cut the city off from Palestinian communities in the southern West Bank.

Three German parties announced Friday that they aim to open formal coalition talks, moving a big step closer to a new government that would send outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right bloc into opposition. The prospective partners said they have a major opportunity to modernize Europe's biggest economy and combat climate change.

The center-left Social Democrats, the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats, all of whom made gains in Germany's Sept. 26 election, decided they were ready to plunge into full-fledged coalition negotiations after about a week of exploratory talks. That step still requires approval by a congress on Sunday of the Greens and by the Free Democrats' leadership on Monday.

Thousands of protesters in Bangladesh's capital Friday clashed with police, as security forces used tear gas and batons against demonstrators angry over what they perceived as an image insulting Islam that had gone viral over social media.

Police said that the street protests began after the main Friday prayers at the Baitul Mukarram mosque in the center of Dhaka.

Protests erupted in Italy as one of the most stringent anti-coronavirus measures in Europe went into effect Friday, requiring all workers, from magistrates to maids, to show a health pass to get into their place of employment.

Police were out in force, schools planned to end classes early and embassies issued warnings of possible violence amid concerns that the anti-vaccination demonstrations could turn violent, as they did in Rome last weekend.

A forthcoming flight to space by a Japanese billionaire will allow the public to have a closer look at life on board the orbiting outpost, the president of Space Adventures, a company that organized the flight, said Friday.

Yusaku Maezawa is set to rocket to space on Dec. 8 on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft together with producer Yozo Hirano who will film his mission and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin.