varieties - INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR JOURNALISM AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

US budget shutdown: I won't compromise on wall, says Trump.

President Donald Trump has refused to compromise on his demand for a wall to be built on the Mexican border, the cause of a partial government shutdown. ...

Greater Manchester: New homes plan to tackle 'housing crisis'

More than 50,000 affordable homes will be built in Greater Manchester by 2038 under new plans to tackle the region's "housing crisis". The revised plans come after huge protests over a previous proposal for 225,000 new properties. Mayor Andy Burnham said 30,000 of the 50,000 new homes would be social housing. He also announced a number of transport plans, including the expansion of the Metrolink tram system. Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has agreed to support the house-building using surpluses from its £300m Housing Investment Loan Fund. ...

Yellow vests: France to crack down on unsanctioned protests

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has announced plans to punish people who hold unsanctioned protests after seven weeks of anti-government unrest. His government wants to draft new legislation that will ban troublemakers from protests and clamp down on the wearing of masks at demonstrations. ...

North Korea's Kim Jong-un visits China's Xi Jinping

Mr Kim is visiting China with his wife Ri Sol-ju, state media report ...

Rahaf al-Qunun: Saudi woman ends airport hotel standoff

Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun, pictured at Bangkok airport, says she "wants to be free" away from Saudi Arabia ...

Brexit: 20 Tory rebels inflict no-deal defeat on government

Senior Conservatives have signalled they are not prepared to support a no-deal Brexit as they inflicted a defeat on the government in Parliament. ...

Heathrow airport: Drone sighting halts departures

Departures at Heathrow were temporarily stopped after a drone was reported to have been sighted. ...

Trump walks out of shutdown talks with a 'bye-bye'

President Donald Trump has walked out of a meeting with Democratic leaders as negotiations broke down on the 19th day of a partial US government shutdown. ...

Brexit: Theresa May calls union chiefs to seek support for deal

Theresa May has spoken to the leaders of two of the biggest unions in the UK as she continues to try to build support for her Brexit deal. ...

Chinese businessman arrested in Poland for spying

Poland's security services say a Chinese businessman and a Polish man, both employed in telecoms, have been arrested for spying. ...

URGENT:explosion in paris due to gas leak

A huge blast has rocked central Paris, setting buildings and cars alight and reportedly injuring a number of people. ...

Trump denies hiding detail of Putin summit talks from staff

US President Donald Trump has denied hiding details of conversations with Russia's Vladimir Putin, saying he is "not keeping anything under wraps". ...

'Frightening' gun attack sparks police probe in Cardiff

Police have launched an appeal for information after two vehicles were shot at in a Cardiff suburb. ...

Brexit: Ministers plead with MPs to back Theresa May's deal

The government has made a fresh plea to MPs to get behind Theresa May's Brexit deal in Tuesday's crucial Commons vote. ...

Nairobi DusitD2 hotel under attack as blasts and gunfire heard

A luxury hotel complex is under attack in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. ...

Ivory Coast ex-President Gbagbo acquitted at ICC court in The Hague

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has acquitted Ivory Coast ex-President Laurent Gbagbo. ...

Theresa May facing crunch vote on her Brexit deal

MPs are preparing to vote on whether to back Theresa May's deal for leaving the European Union. ...

Nairobi hotel: DusitD2 siege over as attackers eliminated

  Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has said a siege by suspected militants in Nairobi is over and all the attackers have been "eliminated". ...

Brexit and no-confidence vote: Corbyn targets 'zombie government'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called Theresa May's administration a "zombie government" that "cannot govern" as he called for a general election. Opening a debate on a no-confidence motion, Mr Corbyn said the government "should do the right thing and resign" after Tuesday night's record-breaking defeat on its Brexit legislation. ...