COPENHAGEN, July 24 (Reuters) - Two protesters set fire to a copy of the Koran, Islam's holy book, in front of the Iraqi embassy in the Danish capital on Monday, risking a further deterioration of relations between the two countries.

Protests have raged across Iran and Iraq after Denmark and Sweden allowed the burning of the Koran under rules protecting free speech. Protesters in Iraq set alight the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on Thursday.

July 24 (Reuters) - The head of Russia's space agency on Monday suggested Moscow's partners in the BRICS group - Brazil, India, China and South Africa - could build a module for its planned orbital station, the Interfax news agency reported.

Reporting from a BRICS meeting on space cooperation in Hermanus, South Africa, Interfax said it was "assumed" that the first module of the Russian Orbital Station (ROS) would be launched in 2027, with construction completed by 2032.

MADRID (AP) — Spaniards woke up Monday to find their country in political disarray after a general election a day earlier left no party with a clear path to forming a government.

The uncertainty deepened as both of Spain’s two main parties indicated that they hope to take power. The only sure thing seems to be that the country faces weeks, perhaps months, of political negotiations and possibly a new election to sort out the mess.

Here’s a look at what happened and what might unfold in the next few months.

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23 July 2023; MEMO: An expert from the United Nations has expressed concern over the rampant abduction and detention of children in north-east Syria by the autonomous Kurdish authorities in the region.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iranian authorities have shut down one of the offices of the country’s biggest e-commerce company and launched judicial procedures after it published pictures online showing female employees not wearing the mandatory Islamic headscarf, semi-official media reported.

The move appears to be part of a new campaign launched last week to impose the Islamic dress code nearly a year after the morality police largely melted away in the face of widespread protests.

SEOUL, July 24 (Reuters) - A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine arrived in South Korea on Monday, only days after the first U.S. nuclear armed submarine made port in the country in four decades, as the two allies seek to boost American strategic assets to deter North Korea.

The USS Annapolis entered a naval base in South Korea' southern island of Jeju, to load military supplies while on an unspecified operational mission, the South Korean navy said.

Varanasi (UP), Jul 24 (PTI) A 30-member team of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) entered the Gyanvapi complex on Monday morning to carry out a scientific survey in accordance with court orders to determine if the mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple was built upon a temple.

Besides the ASI team, which entered the complex around 7 am, the lawyers of all the Hindu petitioners to the legal dispute are also present at the spot, Madan Mohan Yadav, one of the counsel, said.

Tehran, IRNA -- Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali-Akbar Ahmadian has participated in the National Security Advisors (NSA) meeting of the BRICS group of emerging economies in South Africa.

Ahmadian, who arrived in Pretoria in South Africa on Monday is also planned to hold talks with some of his counterparts on the sidelines of the BRICS meeting.

The 13th NSA meeting of BRICS opened in South Africa on Monday for three days.

ISTANBUL, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish police have seized about 850 kg of methamphetamine and detained 14 suspects in a recent anti-narcotics operation in Istanbul, police sources said Monday.

The operation was carried out between June 11 and July 18 in nine districts of Istanbul.

The seized drugs were exhibited at the main police headquarters.

In June, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya vowed to eliminate any passage to drug dealers "who poison our youth and threaten our future."

BEIJING (AP) — China’s government appealed to Japan on Monday not to disrupt the semiconductor industry after curbs on exports of Japanese chip-making technology took effect, adding to technology restrictions Washington and its allies have imposed on China on security grounds.

23 July 2023; AA: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday postponed his trips to Türkiye and the Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus due to health concerns following the implantation of a pacemaker, local media reported.

Netanyahu was scheduled to have a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday.

The meeting would have been the first by an Israeli prime minister to Ankara since Ehud Olmert met Erdogan in 2008.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — As Russia seeks more allies during its invasion of Ukraine, longtime U.S. security partner Kenya might not be an obvious choice. But hours after Russia terminated a deal to keep grain flowing from Ukraine, Moscow’s ambassador saw an opening to appeal to one of the African countries that would feel the effects the most.