EU’s Tusk asks European Parliament to approve von der Leyen
European Council President Donald Tusk on Thursday asked the European Parliament to approve Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen as the next head of the European Commission.
Iran says it could consider talks with U.S. only if sanctions lifted and Khamenei permits
Iran’s intelligence minister has said Tehran and Washington could hold talks only if the United States ended its sanctions and Iran’s top authority, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, gave his approval, state news agency IRNA reported on Thursday.
Iran says ‘active resistance’ is an antidote to Trump’s warnings: TV
Iran said on Thursday that “active resistance’ was an antidote to U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning over Tehran’s commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal, state TV reported.
Britain denies supporting violent Hong Kong protests as China media slam ‘Western ideologues’
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday that he had not backed violent protests in Hong Kong, after Chinese state media blamed “Western ideologues” for fomenting unrest in the former British colony.
Even for a limited nuclear deal, North Korea may settle for nothing less than sanctions relief
A new public broadside by North Korean officials against U.S.-backed sanctions highlights the tough road ahead as negotiators prepare for talks in the wake of Sunday’s meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
UK’s Hunt denies he supported violent protests in Hong Kong
Britain’s Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Thursday that he had not backed violent protests in Hong Kong after Chinese state media blamed interference by Western governments for unrest in the former British colony.
Oil supertanker bound for Syria detained in Gibraltar
Gibraltar said on Thursday it had detained the supertanker Grace 1 on suspicion of carrying crude oil to Syria in what a legal source said may be the first such interception under EU sanctions.
Russia, after three days, says submarine hit by fire was nuclear-powered
Russian President Vladimir Putin disclosed on Thursday for the first time that a top-secret military submarine hit by a fatal fire three days ago was nuclear-powered, prompting Russia’s defense minister to assure him that its nuclear reactor had been c…
Australian student released from North Korea says he’s ‘very good’
An Australian student who was detained in North Korea was freed and safely left the country on Thursday, arriving in Tokyo via Beijing later the same day after Swedish officials helped broker his release.
Putin says ready to step up dialogue with U.S over disarmament: paper
Russia is ready to step up dialogue with the United States over disarmament and strategic stability, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, adding that he discussed these issues with his American counterpart Donald Trump in Japan.
