Israel reinforces troops outside Gaza as border protests enter seventh month
Israel said it was reinforcing troops around Gaza on Thursday as a precaution against Palestinian border protests now in their seventh month, and threatened the enclave’s ruling Hamas Islamists with a “very harsh” response in the event of attacks.
Can UK alone stop Brexit? Top EU court may decide before Christmas
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has been asked for a preliminary ruling on whether Britain alone can reverse its decision to leave the European Union, according to a statement by Scotland’s Court of Session on Thursday.
Exclusive: Saudis seek wide-ranging deals with South African arms firms
Saudi Arabia is in talks with South Africa’s major arms manufacturers and is considering taking an equity stake in the struggling state-owned defense firm Denel, the head of the Saudi state defense company told Reuters.
Dutch government says it disrupted Russian attempt to hack chemical weapons watchdog
Dutch authorities disrupted an attempt in April by Russian intelligence agents to hack the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld said on Thursday.
Ireland expects formal UK backstop proposals in next week: minister
Ireland is not aware that Britain has yet tabled its planned formal new “backstop” proposal on how to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland but hopes to see it over the next week or so, Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said on Thursday.
Palmyra priest statue among haul of recovered Syrian relics
A stone image of an ancient priest is one of hundreds of stolen antiquities recovered by the Syrian government and put on display in Damascus this week, a reminder of the mass looting of Syria’s heritage during seven years of war.
Ireland processing over 100 Brexit-related applications from finance firms: central bank
Ireland’s central bank has seen a surge in financial services firms seeking to set up or extend their operations in Ireland as a result of Brexit and is processing over 100 applications, its governor Philip Lane said on Thursday.
Irish PM Varadkar in Brussels as Brexit talks enter frenzied fortnight
Ireland’s Prime Minister Leo Varadkar arrives in Brussels to meet European Union officials on Thursday as Brexit talks enter a frenzied fortnight designed to produce a divorce deal with Britain and a blueprint for future ties.
New British proposal for Irish border ‘step in right direction’: EU source
New British proposals for avoiding extensive border checks on the island of Ireland after Brexit are “a step in the right direction” and “make finding a compromise possible”, a European Union source close to the negotiations told Reuters on Thursday.
Top EU court asked to decide if UK alone can reverse Brexit
The European Court of Justice has been asked to make a preliminary ruling on whether Britain alone can reverse its decision to leave the European Union, according to a statement by Scotland’s Court of Session on Thursday.
