Hong Kong police get more powers, masks to be banned in bid to end crisis: media
Hong Kong has loosened guidelines on the use of force by police as it struggles to stamp out anti-government protests that have rocked the Asian financial hub for nearly four months, according to documents seen by Reuters on Thursday.
Iraqi police fire live rounds as protesters defy curfew
Iraqi police fired live rounds to disperse crowds that defied a pre-dawn curfew to protest on Thursday, after 11 people were killed overnight in clashes that have escalated into one of the worst security challenges since the defeat of Islamic State.
Explainer: Deadly civil unrest – what is happening in Iraq?
At least 18 Iraqis have died in recent days in clashes between protesters and the security forces during street demonstrations that caught the authorities by surprise.
Pompeo, Pope Francis urge religious freedom in Mideast, elsewhere: State Dept
Pope Francis and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo agreed on the importance of protecting the rights of Christian minorities in the Middle East during a meeting at the Vatican on Thursday, the U.S. State Department said.
UK parliament silenced? Hoarse Speaker Bercow battles to be heard
Speaker John Bercow, one of the most prominent voices in Britain’s Brexit debate, struggled to make himself heard on Thursday when a sore throat cruelly reduced his customary booming cry of “Order! Order” to a painful-sounding growl.
Pope moves Polish anti-communist cardinal closer to sainthood
Pope Francis has recognized a miracle attributed to the late Polish Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, a revered icon of his country’s resistance to communism in the post-war period, a step that moves him closer to sainthood.
Uzbek spies attacked dissidents with off-the-shelf hacking tools
Uzbek intelligence officers have used commercially-available computer spying tools to launch a series of cyber attacks against activists and dissidents, researchers at Moscow-based cybersecurity firm Kaspersky said on Thursday.
A family in limbo as U.S. slows refugee admissions
Somali refugee Ramlo Ali Noor will never be reunited with her 16-year-old son in her new home in Columbus, Ohio.
How the Trudeau campaign scrambled to sidestep political disaster
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his election campaign team were on the way to the airport in Nova Scotia on Sept. 18 when Time magazine journalists called with alarming news.
Hong Kong set to ban face masks in bid to curb violence: media
Hong Kong is set to enact an emergency law to ban face masks at rallies, media reported on Thursday, as authorities grapple with nearly four months of anti-government protests.
