Australian firefighters die as flames circle Sydney; prime minister cuts short holiday
Two volunteer Australian firefighters died on Thursday night in the battle against blazes around Sydney, prompting Prime Minister Scott Morrison to cut short a vacation to return to the drought-ravaged country.
U.S. should not finalize China trade deal unless detained Canadians are released: Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Thursday that the U.S. government should not finalize a trade deal with China unless the pact also secured the release of two Canadians detained by Beijing.
Chilean lawmakers approve popular vote on Pinochet-era constitution
Chile’s Congress on Thursday gave the green light to a referendum on changing the country’s constitution next year, a central demand of protesters whose mobilizations brought the nation virtually to a standstill over the past eight weeks.
Catalan separatist leader jailed by Spain had immunity as MEP: EU court
A jailed Catalan separatist leader was entitled to immunity as a member of the European Parliament, the EU’s highest court ruled on Thursday.
Canadian court affirms citizenship of son of Russian spies who inspired TV series
The son of Russian spies who was born in Canada and was stripped of his citizenship after his parents were arrested for espionage in the United States was affirmed as a Canadian citizen by the country’s top court on Thursday.
Venezuelan court overturns congress decision to allow virtual votes
Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a decision by the opposition-run congress that allowed lawmakers to vote virtually after a government crackdown pushed dozens of legislators out of the country or into hiding.
Exclusive: The Brits who won’t Brexit
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson won a thumping election victory last week on a campaign to “get Brexit done,” but not before some wealthy donors to his Conservative Party quietly took steps to stay inside the European Union.
French PM, unions fail to break pension strike deadlock as Christmas looms
French unions said strikes that have crippled the transport system will continue over the Christmas holidays after talks with the government on Thursday failed to break the deadlock over a planned overhaul of the pension system.
U.S.-Guatemala asylum deal could apply to Mexicans: senior U.S. official
An agreement that sends people seeking U.S. asylum to instead request refuge in Guatemala could apply to Mexicans and other nationalities as implementation of the deal is ramped up, a senior U.S. official announced on Thursday.
Factbox: IMO 2020 – a major shake-up for oil and shipping
Tougher rules on sulfur emissions from ships will come into effect next year in the biggest shake-up for the oil and shipping industries for decades.
