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ExxonMobil's interest in Greek hydrocarbons was confirmed in meetings on Friday that representatives of the oil multinational had in Athens with Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) and leading Greek government officials.

Investors started focusing on the positives in the eurozone on Friday, particularly after European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi's optimistic comments the day before.

"Everything has turned upside down - European political risks have faded, the economy is looking strong, while in the US everybody is worried," said DZ Bank strategist Daniel Lenz.

US President Donald Trump recently received Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the White House, where the two leaders discussed a number of matters, including the fight against ISIS terrorist in Syria and Iraq. President Trump is not known for picking up on foreign names. This time was no exception as he repeatedly mispronounced Mr. Erdogan’s name during the joint press conference.

Editor-in-chief of Informer Dragan Vucicevic has called on US Ambassador Kyle Scott to "publicly apologize" to the daily.

Otherwise, Informer's lawyers will sue Scott "in Serbia and in the United States," he said late on Thursday.

Swedish prosecutors said on May 19 they had dropped an investigation of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange over a rape allegation, but British police said he would still be arrested if he left the Ecuadorean embassy in London where he has been holed up.
   
Assange, 45, took refuge in the embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over the rape allegation, which he denies.

The Trump administration on May 18 launched a 90-day countdown to renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, part of its aggressive stance towards trade that it charges has hurt U.S. workers.

Swedish prosecutors investigating rape accusations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange must decide on Friday if they will lift a Europe-wide arrest warrant against him in a seven-year-old case, The Local writes.

Iranians poured into polling stations on Friday to deliver their verdict on President Hassan Rouhani and his troubled efforts to rebuild ties with the world and kickstart the struggling economy.
 

Chinese fighter jets have reportedly flown in an “unprofessional” manner near a US Air Force aircraft flying above the Yellow Sea on Wednesday, according to a US official cited in a CNN report.

Police conducted an operation targeting an executive of critical daily Sözcü and a number of other staff members, the Istanbul Chief Public prosecutor stated on May 19, after detention warrants were issued for four of the newspaper's staff members in the early hours of the morning.