Australia urges people to flee as fires set to surge over the weekend
Authorities urged Australians on Friday to evacuate parts of the eastern states of Victoria and New South Wales to escape bushfires they fear are set to burn out of control this weekend.
First Australian bushfire evacuees land in Melbourne
The first of thousands of residents and vacationers stranded on a beach in southeastern Australia landed near Melbourne on Saturday morning after a 20-hour journey by ship, relieved to escape terrifying smoke and fire.
Mexico City goes back to the future with plastic bag ban
Mexico City’s new ban on plastic bags has inspired visions of a journey back in time even as local makers of the packaging worry they could become obsolete.
Spain’s future in the balance as lawmakers head for knife-edge vote
Spanish lawmakers head to Parliament on Saturday for several days of debate ahead of an extremely tight vote that could confirm Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez as prime minister, breaking the country’s political impasse and setting the stage for a leftist coalition to enter government.
Factbox: Will Spain’s Sanchez stay on as prime minister?
Spain’s acting prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, is seeking to convince lawmakers to confirm his position and back his proposed left-wing coalition, ending nearly a year of political gridlock.
Inside the plot by Iran’s Soleimani to attack U.S. forces in Iraq
In mid-October, Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani met with his Iraqi Shi’ite militia allies at a villa on the banks of the Tigris River, looking across at the U.S. embassy complex in Baghdad.
Bolivia’s electoral court sets election rerun for May 3
A rerun of Bolivia’s election has been set for Sunday May 3, the president of the country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal said on Friday.
U.S. ‘self-defense’ argument for killing Soleimani meets skepticism
The Trump administration on Friday justified its killing of a top Iranian general as an act of self-defense, trying to deflect accusations that it violated international law and concerns raised by legal experts and a senior U.N. rights investigator.
Analyst View: What rising Middle East tensions mean for oil market
The United States launched an air strike against a leading Iranian military commander on Friday, heightening fears of a conflict escalation in the Middle East that could hurt crude supplies in the region.
Dangerous conditions fuel bushfires across southeast Australia
Australian firefighters battled dangerous conditions on Saturday as fires in New South Wales and Victoria states were expected to burn uncontrollably in temperatures above 40C (104F) and strong, shifting threatened to fan and spread the flames.
