News In Brief

Iraq to host regional rivals Iran, Saudi Arabia at conference
Reuters, Baghdad
Iraq will host senior parliamentary officials from arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran on Saturday as Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi seeks to bolster his country’s nascent role as a mediator in the region.
Delegations including the heads of parliament from Turkey, Kuwait, Syria and Jordan will also attend the one-day conference in the Iraqi capital to discuss regional security, diplomacy and economic issues.

3 climbers presumed dead in Canadian
avalanche
Reuters, Calgary
Three renowned professional alpinists are missing and presumed dead after an avalanche in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, Parks Canada said on Thursday.
Climbing media named the men as American Jess Roskelley, 36, and Austrians David Lama, 28, and Hansjörg Auer, 35, saying they were killed after attempting to climb a challenging route on Howse Peak in Banff National Park.

Ukraine quite ahead of presidential election
AP, Kiev
Ahead of Sunday’s hotly contested presidential election, Ukraine is observing a so-called “day of silence” in which campaigning is forbidden.
The campaign hit a dramatic high on Friday night when the comic actor who is far ahead in public opinion polls debated with President Petro Poroshenko in the country’s largest sports stadium.