Irish PM Varadkar: Any changes to Brexit cannot undermine backstop
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on Thursday that any changes or clarifications to Britain’s Brexit deal must not undermine the spirit of the agreement or render the so-called backstop inoperable.
Protests paralyze Indian state after women defy temple ban
Conservative Hindu groups paralyzed India’s southern state of Kerala on Thursday protesting against the state government for allowing two women to defy an ancient ban and enter a Hindu temple.
Saudi prosecutor seeks death penalties in Khashoggi case
Saudi Arabian prosecutors is seeking the death penalty for five of the 11 suspects detained over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the state news agency SPA said on Thursday, as a Saudi court held a first hearing on the case.
Death toll reaches 39 in Russian apartment block collapse: Interfax
Thirty-nine bodies have been pulled from under the rubble of a Russian apartment building that partially collapsed this week after an apparent gas explosion, Interfax news agency reported on Thursday.
U.S. warns Iran against space launches, ballistic missiles
The United States issued a pre-emptive warning to Iran on Thursday against pursuing three planned space rocket launches that it said would violate a U.N. Security Council resolution because they use ballistic missile technology.
Iran health minister quits over budget cuts as US sanctions bite
Iran’s health minister has resigned over proposed budget cuts, the official news agency IRNA reported, amid an economic crisis wrought by the reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Tehran.
Two militants in Tunisia blow themselves up as security forces storm hideout
Two militants in Tunisia blew themselves up on Thursday after they exchanged fire with security forces who stormed their hideout and encircled them, the interior ministry said.
Saudi prosecutor will seek death penalties in Khashoggi case
Saudi Arabian prosecutors will seek the death penalty for five of the 11 suspects detained over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Thursday, as a Saudi court held a first hearing on the case.
India deports second Rohingya group to Myanmar, more expulsions likely
India on Thursday deported a Rohingya Muslim family of five to neighboring Myanmar, the second such group expelled in four months during a crackdown on illegal immigrants.
Macron’s spin doctor to leave Elysee as yellow-vest protests simmer
President Emmanuel Macron’s head of media relations said on Thursday he would quit, a sign that a grueling reform drive and a spate of political scandal and street protests are starting to wear down his inner circle a year and a half into his mandate.
