World News Roundup: Russia's Navalny has mystery ailment which may be slow poisoning - spokeswoman; British fashion designer Mary Quant dies aged 93 - PA Media and more

China has not commented on the no-fly zone but South Korea, which was also briefed on the plans, said it was due to a falling object related to a launch vehicle. Norway expels 15 Russian 'intelligence officers' from embassy Norway is expelling 15 Russian embassy officials that the foreign ministry said on Thursday were intelligence officers operating under the cover of diplomatic positions, a move which Moscow said it would respond to.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Russia's Navalny has mystery ailment which may be slow poisoning - spokeswoman

Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition politician, is grappling with a mystery ailment in jail that could be some sort of slow acting poison and has lost 8 kg in weight in just over two weeks, his spokeswoman said. An ambulance was called for Navalny overnight on Friday to Saturday to the maximum-security IK-6 penal colony at Melekhovo, about 250 km (115 miles) east of Moscow, where he is being held. Kira Yarmysh, his spokeswoman, said in a video clip on Twitter accompanied by disturbing background music.

British fashion designer Mary Quant dies aged 93 - PA Media

British fashion designer Mary Quant, credited with designing the mini skirt that helped to define the swinging 60s, has died aged 93, PA Media reported on Thursday.

French unions rally supporters to the streets ahead of pension ruling

Union activists barged into the Paris headquarters of luxury goods company LVMH on Thursday, saying the French government should shelve plans to make people work longer for their pension and tax the rich more instead. In a 12th day of nationwide protests since mid-January, striking workers also disrupted garbage collection in Paris and blocked river traffic on part of the Rhine river in eastern France.

Fiji government suspends public prosecutor for alleged misbehaviour

Fiji's president suspended the Pacific island nation's public prosecutor on Thursday and said a tribunal would be appointed to investigate him for alleged misbehaviour. The move came on the same day that prosecutor Christopher Pryde's office announced that police had asked it to consider suspected charges against the prime minister, former prime minister, former police chief and former attorney general.

China to ban vessels from area near Taiwan over rocket debris

China will ban vessels from an area near Taiwan on Sunday because of the possibility of falling rocket debris, its maritime safety agency said on Thursday, as Japan sought details from Beijing on a reported no-fly zone in the same location. China has not commented on the no-fly zone but South Korea, which was also briefed on the plans, said it was due to a falling object related to a launch vehicle.

Norway expels 15 Russian 'intelligence officers' from embassy

Norway is expelling 15 Russian embassy officials that the foreign ministry said on Thursday were intelligence officers operating under the cover of diplomatic positions, a move which Moscow said it would respond to. Some 40 Russian diplomats are currently accredited in Oslo, so the expulsions amount to more than a third of their number.

Italy court refers case on unfreezing of Russian billionaire's assets to EU

An Italian court has referred to the EU Court of Justice a decision on whether to maintain the freeze on billionaire Alisher Usmanov's assets worth more than 80 million euros ($88.18 million), according to a ruling. As part of a Western drive against wealthy Russians after the Ukraine invasion, Italian police seized a villa on the island of Sardinia along with six firms holding properties and luxury cars of the Uzbekistan-born metals and telecoms tycoon.

China sanctions senior US lawmaker for visiting Taiwan

China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday sanctioned chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul for visiting Taiwan, saying he had sent a "serious wrong signal to Taiwan independence separatist forces". China views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory and strongly objects to all high-level engagements between foreign and Taiwanese officials, especially if it involves Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.

North Korea launches new type of ballistic missile, South says

North Korea fired a new model of long-range ballistic missile on Thursday, South Korea said, triggering a scare in northern Japan where residents were told to take cover, though there turned out to be no danger. A South Korean military official said the missile appeared to have been a new weapon displayed at recent North Korean military parades, and possibly used solid fuel.

Factbox: Who is Alexei Navalny and what does he say of Russia, Putin and death?

Russia's most prominent opposition leader Alexei Navalny has lost 8 kg in jail and is suffering an illness that could be some sort of slow acting poison, his spokeswoman said. Who is Navalny?