Iran’s death toll from coronavirus outbreak approaches 10,000
Iran is approaching 10,000 deaths from the coronavirus outbreak in the country, according to official figures from the Ministry of Health.
Gaza horse riders compete again as coronavirus curbs eased
Wearing riding pants, logo-decorated shirts and helmets, Gaza horse-riders resumed local show-jumping competitions on Thursday as coronavirus restrictions were eased.
Brexit deadline looms over day of Anglo-French solidarity
Prime Minister Boris Johnson told France’s President Emmanuel Macron that talks on a post Brexit deal cannot drag on into the autumn, as the French leader visited London to mark the 80th anniversary of General de Gaulle’s call for wartime resistance,
Belarus president’s main rival held in pre-election clampdown
President Alexander Lukashenko’s main rival was detained on Thursday and accused of siphoning $430 million out of Belarus, in a widening crackdown ahead of August’s presidential election.
Reluctance to free ‘most dangerous’ Taliban prisoners slows Afghan peace talks: sources
Western powers are backing the Afghan government’s refusal to free hundreds of prisoners accused of some of Afghanistan’s most violent attacks, a release demanded by the Taliban as a condition to start peace talks, five sources told Reuters.
Discord thwarts U.N. nuclear watchdog’s plans for virtual Iran meeting
Opposition led by China to a planned resolution rebuking Iran at the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s 35-nation board has forced it to call an in-person session after four days of meeting online because of the coronavirus, diplomats said on Thursday.
After second round of voting, Kenya wins spot on U.N. Security Council
Kenya was elected to the U.N. Security Council on Thursday, defeating Djibouti in a second-round of voting by the 193-member General Assembly after an initial ballot failed to produce a clear winner.
‘Taking the knee’ seems to be from Game of Thrones: UK foreign minister
British foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Thursday that “taking the knee” seems to have come from the fantasy TV drama series “Game of Thrones” and felt like a symbol of subjugation and subordination.
Bank of England to remove any portraits of former governors linked to slave trade
The Bank of England said on Thursday it would remove any portraits still on display within the 325-year-old central bank of former governors or directors with links to the slave trade.
PM Johnson tells Macron: Brexit talks cannot stretch into autumn
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told French President Emmanuel Macron that it does not make sense to extend talks on a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union into autumn, a statement issued by Johnson’s office said on Thursday.
