Wednesday, May 8, 2019 - a podcast by TRT World

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

*) Iran inches away from nuclear deal amid US sanctions, and South Africans head to the polls in parliamentary and provincial elections.

*) This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Wednesday, May 8th.

*)Iran threatens more nuclear deal measures

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gives world powers sixty days to set new terms for the 2015 nuclear deal.

If that deadline is not met Iran will stop complying with the landmark accord.

What does that mean? For starters, Iran will resume high level enrichment of uranium.

*)Shrine blast kills 9 in Lahore

A powerful bomb targeting the elite police force at a popular Sufi shrine in Pakistan has killed at least nine people and wounded 23 others.

Lahore police chief Ghazanfar Ali said the bombing at Data Darbar occurred when hundreds of pilgrims were inside and outside the shrine.

Officials say a suicide bomber carried out the attack near the entrance used by women.

*)Pakistani woman acquitted of blasphemy lands in Canada

A Pakistani Christian woman who spent eight years on death row over false blasphemy charges has landed in Canada, her lawyer told CNN.

Aasia Bibi was forced into hiding for her own safety after she was acquitted by the Supreme Court more than six months ago.

In January, proponents of Pakistan’s contentious blasphemy law made a last ditch effort to see Aasia Bibi return to death row but failed.

*)Lawmakers to be prosecuted in Venezuela

Venezuela's pro-government Constituent Assembly stripped seven opposition legislators of immunity for joining rallies on April 30 amid a failed uprising.

The Supreme Court said the legislators should be investigated for crimes including conspiracy, treason and rebellion.

Venezuela has been in a state of political crisis ever since Juan Guaido declared himself interim president in a bid to oust Nicolas Maduro.

*)South Africans vote in parliamentary, provincial elections

And finally,

South Africans head to the polls in parliamentary and provincial elections.

The ruling ANC party is currently expected to win but is unlikely to do as well as it did five years ago.

Voting begins at 0500 GMT and polling stations will close at 1900 GMT.

*): And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World ... For more, head to TRTWorld.com.

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