EU rejects fresh Brexit negotiations
European leaders stood firm late Tuesday after the British parliament voted to send Prime Minister Theresa May back to Brussels to renegotiate the EU-backed withdrawal agreement.
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US spy agencies doubt North Korea will give up its nukes
In an assessment casting doubt on US President Donald Trump’s goal of a nuclear-disarmed North Korea, US intelligence agencies told Congress on Tuesday that the North is unlikely to entirely dismantle its nuclear arsenal.
Former Christian Governor Imprisoned for Blasphemy Is Finally Free
A Christian politician was set free in Indonesia Thursday after serving nearly two years in prison for blasphemy.
Iran’s nuclear chief: We bought spares for nuke equipment we agreed to destroy
Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, has detailed how Iran quietly purchased replacement parts for its Arak nuclear reactor while it was conducting negotiations for an international agreement under which it knew it would be required to destroy the original components.
White House: ‘All options on the table’ in dealing with crisis in Venezuela
The U.S. and nations across the hemisphere launched a stunning, coordinated rebuke Wednesday and declared that Venezuelan socialist President Nicolas Maduro is no longer his country’s legitimate leader, with President Trump vowing that ‘all options are on the table’ — including military action — to deal with the long-running crisis in Caracas.
Insect collapse: ‘We are destroying our life support systems’
Earth’s bugs outweigh humans 17 times over and are such a fundamental foundation of the food chain that scientists say a crash in insect numbers risks ‘ecological Armageddon’. When Lister’s study was published in October, one expert called the findings ‘hyper-alarming’.
UK’s May says parliament blocking Brexit is more likely than ‘no deal’
Prime Minister Theresa May will say on Monday that lawmakers blocking Brexit is now a more likely outcome than Britain leaving the European Union without a deal.
If May loses Brexit vote, Corbyn to call for UK elections
Britain’s main opposition Labor Party will demand a general election if Prime Minister Theresa May loses a vote in parliament over her Brexit plans next week, its leader Jeremy Corbyn will say on Thursday.
Assets worth 800 billion pounds to shift from UK to EU due to Brexit
Assets worth nearly 800 billion pounds are being moved from Britain to new financial hubs in the European Union ahead of Brexit, consultancy EY said on Monday.
Trump’s Syria withdrawal undermined by Turkey’s rebuke
The fate of Kurds whom the U.S. relied upon to battle the Islamic State continued to roil President Trump’s hope for a Syria troop pullout Tuesday, with Turkey’s leader rejecting outright Washington’s demand that it hold back on attacking Kurdish forces after American forces depart.
Trump gives no timetable for Syria, wants to protect Kurds
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States would get out of Syria slowly ‘over a period of time’ and would protect the U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in the country as Washington draws down troops.
Mattis quits at Pentagon over policy clashes with Trump
Jim Mattis has resigned on principle as Pentagon chief after President Trump decided to slash U.S. troop presence in Syria and Afghanistan, citing in a letter the need for ‘a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned’ with the president’s.
Scientists investigate upsurge in polio-like illness in children
Health authorities in England are investigating an increase in cases of a rare polio-like illness in children, an outbreak of which has been puzzling doctors in the United States.
UK ministers focused on getting Brexit deal through parliament, May says
British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday that her cabinet’s focus was on building support for her Brexit deal after different ministers floated contrasting back-up plans should her Brexit deal fail to pass in parliament next month.
Cashless revolution ‘happening too fast’ as millions of consumers face exclusion from shops and restaurants
Britain is going cashless too quickly, a report has warned, meaning elderly and disabled consumers face being excluded from shops and restaurants.
Netanyahu says Israeli agents ‘periodically visit’ Iran to monitor nuke program
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a group of diplomats on Sunday that Israeli agents continue to operate inside Iran as part of Israel’s efforts to thwart the nuclear ambitions of the Islamic republic.
EU extends sanctions on Russia over Ukraine
European Council President Donald Tusk announced Thursday that EU leaders had agreed to extend comprehensive sanctions against Russia.
EU rules out Brexit renegotiation, vows to avoid Irish backstop with free trade deal before 2021
European Union leaders on Friday once again ruled out changes to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal agreement. But they reassured British Prime Minister Theresa May that they would try to finalize a new UK-EU free trade deal before 2021.
Church of England to offer baptism-style services to transgender people to celebrate their new identity for first time
The Church of England has encouraged its clergy to create baptism-style ceremonies for transgender people to welcome them into the Anglican faith.
EU ‘ready to examine’ more Brexit assurances to Britain
The European Union ‘stands ready to examine whether any further assurance can be provided’ to Britain over the Irish backstop and their tentative divorce agreement, a draft seen by Reuters showed on Thursday.