World News Roundup: Former French president Jacques Chirac dies, aged 86; U.S. lawmakers to grill Trump intel chief about whistleblower report

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Former French president Jacques Chirac dies, aged 86

Former President Jacques Chirac, a political chameleon who dominated French politics for decades and strived to make France's voice heard in Europe and beyond, died on Thursday at the age of 86. Chirac was president from 1995 to 2007. He shaped his style in the mold of post-war leader Charles de Gaulle, seeking to strengthen France's status as a player on the world stage and was best remembered for his opposition to the war in Iraq.

Iran's Rouhani says wider talks with U.S. possible if 2015 deal implemented

Iran can discuss other issues with the United States providing its 2015 nuclear deal with six powers is fully implemented, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday, adding that Tehran's missile capabilities were not negotiable. "First, the deal should be fully implemented ... meaning that sanctions should be lifted and America should return to the nuclear deal ... and then other issues can be discussed as well," Rouhani said.

Trump administration proposes slashing number of refugees for U.S. resettlement

The Trump administration on Thursday proposed allowing only 18,000 refugees to resettle in the United States in the 2020 fiscal year, the lowest number in the history of the modern refugee program. At the same time, President Donald Trump issued an executive order saying his administration would seek the approval of state and local governments to resettle refugees in their communities, in a shift for a federally directed program.

U.S. lawmakers to grill Trump intel chief about whistleblower report

President Donald Trump's top intelligence official will be grilled by U.S. lawmakers on Thursday over the administration's handling of a whistleblower report central to an impeachment inquiry into the president. The acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, will testify to the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee after refusing to share the complaint with Congress, despite a law requiring that it be sent to lawmakers after an inspector general's determination that it was urgent and credible.

British PM Johnson says tempers need to calm after Brexit furor

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday tempers needed to calm following a vitriolic session in parliament, after critics accused him of using language that had led to threats and abuse against his opponents. Parliament reached boiling point on Wednesday when Johnson and his opponents engaged in hours of furious argument over Britain's departure from the European Union. Lawmakers hurled allegations of betrayal and abuse of power across the chamber.

Pentagon to send radar, Patriot missiles to bolster Saudi defenses

The Pentagon said on Thursday it plans to send four radar systems, a battery of Patriot missiles and about 200 support personnel to bolster Saudi Arabia's defenses after the largest-ever attack on the kingdom's oil facilities this month. The Pentagon's statement added details to the Pentagon's announcement on Friday about U.S. plans to deploy more forces to Saudi Arabia after the Sept. 14 attack on the world's biggest crude oil-processing facility, which Washington has blamed on Iran.

North Korea says lack of progress casts doubt on prospects for future summit with U.S.: KCNA

North Korea said on Friday that a lack of progress in implementing agreements made between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un cast doubt on prospects for a future summit, state news agency KCNA said. "The U.S. has done nothing for implementing the joint statement" from the first summit between Trump and Kim in Singapore last year, KCNA said, quoting North Korean Foreign Ministry advisor Kim Kye Gwan.

Pompeo has no comment on possibility of U.S.-Iran prisoner swap

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined on Thursday to discuss the possibility of a U.S.-Iranian prisoner swap after the United States deported an Iranian woman who pleaded guilty to exporting restricted U.S. technology to Iran. "So, I never talk about sensitive issues as you described there," Pompeo told reporters in New York when asked about Negar Ghodskani, whose lawyer said she was deported on Tuesday, and whether he expected Iran to soon release a detained U.S. doctoral student.

Barricades and books: life in restive Kashmir neighborhood

Few people step outside Anchar, a neighborhood ringed by steel barricades and razor wire in Indian Kashmir, where police have imposed a weeks-long regionwide clampdown to stifle protests. The densely-populated, working class area in the main city, Srinagar, is a pocket of resistance to India's removal in early August of special status for Jammu and Kashmir, the country's only Muslim-majority state.

After six months of war, powers push for new Libyan talks at U.N.

Major powers sought to bury their differences over Libya at the United Nations on Thursday after six months of war that has plunged the oil producing nation into crisis with few signs of a peace efforts bearing fruit. Libya's conflict has increasingly become a proxy war between foreign powers, which have been backing various armed groups since the 2011 uprising against Muammar Gaddafi. The former rebels have been fighting each other since then.

Also Read: Former French president Jacques Chirac dies at 86: family

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