Pope Francis on Thursday said he needs to have cataract surgery, a common procedure for older people, because his eyesight is failing. Speaking when he met with inmates in one of Rome's prisons, the Pope said “At my age, for example, you get cataracts, and you do not see well reality: next year we will have to have an operation."

Nine EU countries are holding out against expelling Russian ‘spies’ despite the growing international reprisals over the Salisbury nerve agent attack. Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Bulgaria and Greece have stopped short of ejecting diplomats – although they have voiced support for the UK. Theresa May has hailed the united response to Russia in the wake of the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

At least 64 people, many of them children,were killed when a fire engulfed a shopping and entertainment mall in Siberia.

Russia's Investigative Committee and witnesses spoke of blocked exits and "serious violations" at the Winter Cherry mall.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to face trial over charges he misused his influence to secure leaked details of an inquiry into alleged irregularities in his 2007 election campaign, Le Monde reported on Thursday. The probe related to alleged Libyan funding for his 2007 campaign, Le Monde newspaper reported.

Nato is expelling seven Russian diplomats in response to a nerve agent attack in the UK.

The international security organisation's chief said the move would send a message to Russia that there are "costs and consequences" for its behaviour.

Twenty-six countries have expelled Russian envoys in the past two days, in solidarity with the UK.

Catalonia's ex-leader Carles Puigdemont was on Sunday arrested and detained by German police on a European arrest warrant. Mr Puigdemont, who is wanted in Spain for sedition and rebellion, was held crossing from Denmark on the way to Belgium, his lawyer said. Mr Puigdemont had been on a visit to Finland since Thursday.