Iran conducts successful naval missile test

TEHERAN • Iran has successfully test-fired a naval missile that hit a target 250km away, local news agencies have reported.

"We have this week tested the Hormuz-2 missile," the Fars and Tasnim agencies quoted the commander of the air wing of the elite Revolutionary Guards, General Amir-Ali Hadjizadeh, as saying on Thursday.

"The missile succeeded in destroying its target 250km away" in the Gulf of Oman, Gen Hadjizadeh added. According to the local news agencies, the new Hormuz-2 missile has a maximum range of 300km.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

UN may freeze payments over troops' misconduct

UNITED NATIONS • UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed cutting payments to countries that fail to investigate sex abuse accusations against their troops deployed in peacekeeping missions, among a series of new steps aimed at stamping out the misconduct.

The United Nations has been badly shaken by the wave of allegations of sex abuse by troops it deploys in missions with a clear mandate to protect civilians.

Mr Guterres said in an annual report that there had been 145 cases of sexual exploitation and abuse involving troops and civilians across all UN peace missions last year, up from 99 in 2015.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Baby No. 2 on the way for Facebook founder

SAN FRANCISCO • Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has revealed that the social media website's first family is growing, with a baby sister on the way for one-year-old daughter Maxima.

"We are all better people because of the strong women in our lives - sisters, mothers and friends," Mr Zuckerberg said in a post on his Facebook page. "We can't wait to welcome our new little one and do our best to raise another strong woman."

Mr Zuckerberg's doctor wife, Dr Priscilla Chan, gave birth to daughter "Max" in late November 2015.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE