News brief: Big stories of the day

Iran says it has plans to respond to any move by US President Donald Trump on the 2015 nuclear agreement and the US would regret a decision to exit the accord, as France’s president warned such a move could lead to war. 

Ahead of her Senate intelligence committee appearance on Wednesday, Gina Haspel who was picked by Trump to be the next CIA chief has reportedly informed the White House that she may not attend the confirmation hearing over her intelligence records which allegedly involves "waterboarding" technique which is condemned as torture.

Thunderstorms accompanied by squall, hail and heavy rains are likely to occur in at least 13 states and two Union Territories across the country today. Thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail are very likely at isolated places over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh while thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds are very likely today at isolated places in Uttarakhand and Punjab.

More than 50 people lost their lives during an explosion at a mosque on Sunday when attackers targetted a voter centre in the eastern Afghan province of Khost, also leaving over 34 people wounded. 

Two rights groups campaigning for the French government to halt weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said on Sunday they were taking their case to France's highest legal authority.