Putin orders start of Russian forces’ withdrawal from Syria
MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will start pulling his armed forces out of Syria, five months after he ordered a military intervention that turned the tide of…
Merkel says Germany is benefiting from closure of Balkan migrant route
BERLIN/ IDOMENI – There is no question that Germany has benefited from the closure of the Balkan migrant route north into Europe, Chancellor Angela Merkel said during a news conference…
Spanish police arrest 30 accused of robbing drug traffickers
MADRID – Spanish police have arrested 30 people accused of robbing, kidnapping and torturing drug traffickers, the Interior Ministry says. Police detained 21 Moroccans, eight Spaniards and one person from…
UAE plane crashed in Yemen due to technical fault, pilots killed-coalition
ADEN – Two pilots died when a United Arab Emirates Mirage plane crashed in Yemen on Monday due to a technical fault while conducting military operations for the Saudi-led alliance,…
European-Russian spacecraft heads out in search for life on Mars
Europe and Russia have launched a spacecraft in a joint mission to sniff out signs of life on Mars and bring humans a step closer to flying to the red…
Bangladesh arrests Islamist militants over bomb plot, seizes explosives
DHAKA – Officials of Bangladesh’s anti-terrorism unit have detained five suspected members of a banned Islamist militant group for planning attacks during celebrations of the Bengali New Year next month,…
Malaysia, Australia to discuss China moves in disputed South China Sea
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein says he will meet his Australian counterpart next week to discuss China’s military build-up in the disputed South China Sea and hold…
French business heavyweights to arrive in Australia in hopes of sealing subs deal
CANBERRA – France has sent its largest business delegation in nearly two decades to Australia, talking up the economic benefits of its bid for a $50 billion contract to build…
Chaos erupts in the city streets of Sydney and Melbourne
Police struggled to contain the inner-city of Melbourne and Sydney over the weekend, as violence erupted on the streets. In Melbourne, four arrests have allegedly been made and many more…
Bishop to challenge Iranian counterpart over missile tests
SYDNEY – Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says she will challenge her Iranian counterpart when they meet this week over reported missile tests during a military exercise that drew the threat…
