The Modi-led government also gave a green signal for the creation of Director General Information Warfare post in the headquarters, which would be dealing with media affairs.

The fire service had previously said on Twitter that it was responding to an incident after being called to a large explosion in Avonmouth, south west England. It said it had been joined there by the police and ambulance.

Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates formalised ties with Israel on Sept. 15, in a U.S.-sponsored deal billed by the Gulf countries as being made possible by Israel’s shelving of a plan to annex West Bank settlements. Most world powers deem them illegal.

• European Union negotiators have moved to “within millimetres” of the limits of their negotiating mandate at Brexit trade talks so it is up to London to compromise if a deal is to be reached, an EU diplomat said on Thursday.

The sharp spike – more than 2,000 cases higher than the previous record on Sunday – brings Indonesia’s infections total to 557,877, among the highest in Asia. It has so far recorded 17,355 deaths related to COVID-19.

• The outgoing Trump Administration is withdrawing nearly half of American diplomats from the U.S Embassy in Baghdad, as tensions with Iran continue to escalate, in light of the first anniversary of Gen. Qassem Soleimani's death.

The 54-year-old father of three cleans shops at a mall in exchange for rent-free accommodation in a cramped room in the town of Daraya, southeast of Beirut. His daughters sometimes go into the street to sell tissues to help keep the family fed.

• The legal head of the social media platform is an Indian-origin woman who decides on blocking tweets and users

• Authorities also reported 554 deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the official death toll to 41,607 since the pandemic began.

• As of Wednesday, Hungary ran the European Union's fifth-highest death rate per 100,000 people over a two-week period based on data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

• The task force data also showed 156 new deaths related to COVID-19, taking the total to 17,355.

• Britain's unemployment rate is expected to continue rising sharply, even after finance minister Rishi Sunak extended an emergency jobs subsidy programme until the end of March.

• "Spain wants Poland, Hungary to behave responsibly on EU rescue funds," Gonzalez Laya said to Bloomberg TV, adding that both countries have a responsibility towards their own citizens and companies who need the money.

• He said that as more people experienced the disease, either directly or in their immediate environment, he expected the level of compliance with social distancing guidelines would rise.

• A British minister said he believed "good progress" was being made at talks but cautioned that London would not sign up to a deal that was not in its interest.

• Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

• On Thursday, in a briefing from the Pakistan Foreign Office, spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry condemned the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

• The U.S. Justice Department is investigating a potential crime related to funneling money to the White House in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to court documents unsealed in federal court.

• Australia’s parliament on Thursday passed legislation giving the federal government power to veto any agreement struck with foreign states, a move likely to anger China and intensify a bitter diplomatic spat between the two countries.

• U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday issued new rules to restrict travel Chinese Communist Party members’ and their families’ travel to the United States.

• As part of the deal, Saudi Arabia will allow Qatar Airways flights to use its air space while there are some reports that Riyadh may even open its land border

• Army General Mark Milley said that in addition to the two larger bases, the United States would also keep “several satellite bases.”

FRANKFURT AM MAIN: Germany's biggest-selling newspaper, Bild, topped half a million online subscribers, it said...

KIEV: Kiev this year experienced its warmest autumn in nearly 140 years, Ukraine's central geophysical observatory...

BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha survived a legal challenge Wednesday over his living arrangements ...

BRUSSELS: EU envoys agreed on Wednesday on a new mechanism to punish human rights abuses around the world by...

WASHINGTON: The US attorney general rejected Republican claims of significant voter fraud in the presidential...

PARIS: Oil, gas and coal production must fall six percent a year in order to limit catastrophic global warming, the...

ROME: Italy will give all its citizens free vaccinations against coronavirus starting with doctors and care home...

LONDON: Britain approved Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday, jumping ahead of the rest of the world in the race...

• Britain and EU are seeking a trade deal by end of 2020.
• Negotiations remain snagged on three issues.
• Both sides say time for a deal is running out.

• My experience is that they are going to designate all or nearly all of the information that they produce as highly confidential.
• Judge Mehta asked the two sides to produce a revised protective order by Dec. 14 while companies, like Apple Inc or AT&T Inc.

• In retaliation for the killing last week of Iran's top nuclear scientist, which Tehran has blamed on Israel.
• Today in a letter, the parliament speaker officially asked the president to implement the new law.