Iran's hardline judiciary chief has personally interrogated protesters arrested in a crackdown that has sparked an international outcry, amplifying fears among rights groups about the use of "forced confessions" to instil fear in society.

On Thursday, state television showed Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, who has spent his career at the heart of the Islamic republic's legal apparatus and has been sanctioned by both the European Union and United States, quizzing several people the authorities accuse of being "rioters".

By Nate Raymond

Jan 15 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court ruled on Thursday that a judge had no jurisdiction to order the release of Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil from immigration detention, delivering President Donald Trump's administration a victory in its efforts to deport the pro-Palestinian activist.

The 2-1 ruling by a panel of the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals opened the door to Khalil being re-arrested after it ordered the dismissal of a lawsuit he filed challenging his initial detention.

By Dmitry Antonov

MOSCOW, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday that its was unacceptable for the West to keep claiming that Russia and China threatened Greenland, and said the crisis over the territory showed the double-standards of Western powers which claimed moral superiority.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the United States will take Greenland because unless it does so then Russia and China will - and that the United States does not want them as neighbours.

Iranian authorities have killed a Canadian citizen during one of the protests that have spread across the Islamic Republic, Ottawa said Thursday.

"I have just learned that a Canadian citizen has died in Iran at the hands of Iranian authorities," Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand said on X, giving no further details.

"Peaceful protests by the Iranian people -- asking that their voices be heard in the face of the Iranian regime's repression and ongoing human rights violations -- have led the regime to flagrantly disregard human life," Anand added.

By Rami Ayyub and Nidal al-Mughrabi

JERUSALEM/CAIRO, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Ali Shaath, the Palestinian former government official chosen to administer Gaza under a U.S.-backed deal, has an ambitious plan that includes pushing war debris into the Mediterranean Sea and rebuilding destroyed infrastructure within three years.

The appointment of the civil engineer and former deputy planning minister on Thursday marked the start of the next phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end Israel's war in Gaza.

While Russia and China are ready to back protest-rocked Iran under threat by US President Donald Trump, that support would diminish in the face of US military action, experts told AFP.

Iran is a significant ally to the two nuclear powers, providing drones to Russia and oil to China. But analysts told AFP the two superpowers would only offer diplomatic and economic aid to Tehran, to avoid a showdown with Washington.

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Major shipping companies are devising strategies for a return to the Suez Canal after more than two years of disruptions due to security risks in the Red Sea.

They have been rerouting vessels via longer, costlier routes around Africa since November 2023, following attacks on commercial ships by Yemen's Houthi forces, reportedly in solidarity with Palestinians during warfare in Gaza.

A ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025 has led some companies to explore resumption plans, although security remains a key concern. Below are the latest updates:

By Asif Shahzad

ISLAMABAD, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Pakistani students returning from Iran on Thursday said they heard gunshots and stories of rioting and violence while being confined to campus and not allowed out of their dormitories in the evening.

Iran's leadership is trying to quell the worst domestic unrest since its 1979 revolution, with a rights group putting the death toll over 2,600.

As the protests swell, Tehran is seeking to deter U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated threats to intervene on behalf of anti-government protesters.

ATHENS, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Greece has warned its shipping fleet to review their security measures when sailing to Russian Black Sea ports after drone attacks on two Greek-operated tankers this week, according to shipping ministry advisories.

Drones struck two oil tankers on Tuesday, including one chartered by U.S. oil major Chevron, as they sailed toward a Black Sea terminal on Russia's Black Sea coast.

By Joanna Plucinska

LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - European airlines like Wizz Air, Lufthansa and British Airways dodged Iraqi and Iranian airspace on Thursday, according to flight tracking websites, opting instead for routes over Afghanistan and central Asia in an effort to mitigate risks associated with the ongoing geopolitical turmoil in Iran and the Middle East.