KABUL -- Six Afghan soldiers have been confirmed dead and five others injured as the Taliban insurgents attacked the national army checkpoints in Shirzad district of the eastern Nangarhar province on Friday, a statement of Defence Ministry released here said.

According to the statement, the Taliban militants stormed the checkpoints at 1:30 a.m. local time, killing six soldiers and injuring five others.

The attacking militants also suffered casualties, the statement said, but did not provide a figure. (Afghanistan-Attack-Taliban)

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SAN FRANCISCO -- The Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics was awarded to Steven Weinberg, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

The selection committee on Thursday commended Weinberg's "continuous leadership in fundamental physics, with broad impact across particle physics, gravity and cosmology, and for communicating science to a wider audience." Weinberg was awarded a prize of three-million-dollars. (US-Breakthrough Prize-Steven Weinberg)

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UNITED NATIONS -- A spokesperson for China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations on Thursday refuted U.S. ambassador Kelly Craft's remarks on China in a statement.

Craft, the U.S.' permanent representative to the United Nations, "spread lies to smear China and intentionally created hostility, all for the purpose of domestic politics. China categorically rejects her remarks," the spokesperson said. (UN-US-China)

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THE HAGUE -- A man in a van drove into a police car several times in the center of Amsterdam on Friday morning, with one police officer injured, the Amsterdam police said on Twitter.

The incident happened at around 4:25 a.m. local time (GMT 0225) at Muntplein square. The incident was preceded by a chase. The suspect's van caught fire after colliding with the police car. The police fired but the suspect was unharmed. (Netherlands-Accident-Police) Enditem

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