SOUTH CAUCASUS

Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to normalize ties

Arch-foes Armenia and Azerbaijan said on Thursday they would exchange prisoners of war and work toward normalizing their relations, in a joint statement widely hailed as a "breakthrough". The neighbors have been locked in a decadeslong conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Both countries have said a peace deal could be signed this year.

DENMARK

Law passed to ban Quran burnings

Denmark's parliament on Thursday passed a law making it illegal to burn the Quran in public places, seeking to de-escalate tensions with Muslim countries after a spate of Danish protests during which Islam's holy book was burned.

UNITED STATES

Washington Post staff stage 24-hour strike

Hundreds of staff members at The Washington Post, one of the country's most storied newspapers, walked off the job on Thursday in a 24-hour strike after 18 months of contract negotiations failed to secure a deal. Chanting "Fair pay now" and raising signs reading "Show us the $$$$", staff and supporters protested outside the paper's offices in downtown Washington.