U.S. military officials to meet Turkish counterparts about Syria: Erdogan spokesman
U.S. military officials will come to Turkey to meet with their Turkish counterparts and discuss coordination on Syria, President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said on Monday.
Militants storm government building in Afghan capital, take hostages
Militants stormed a government building in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Monday, taking civilians hostage as they fought a gun battle against Afghan soldiers, officials said.
Indonesia hunts for survivors as volcano tsunami toll nears 400
Indonesian military and rescue teams fanned out across a stretch of coastline on Monday, hoping to find survivors of a tsunami triggered by a landslide from a volcano that killed at least 373 people.
Israel to hold early election in April, Netanyahu says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday a snap election in less than four months, appealing directly to voters for a fresh political mandate that could help him weather possible charges in corruption investigations.
Italy’s Mount Etna erupts, authorities close airport
Italy’s Mount Etna, Europe’s highest and most active volcano, erupted on Monday, sending a huge column of ash into the sky and causing the closure of Catania airport on Sicily’s eastern coast.
Turkish-backed rebels reinforce around Manbij as U.S. prepares pull-out
Turkish-backed Syrian forces have reinforced the area around the town of Manbij, a rebel spokesman said on Monday, as they prepare for a withdrawal of U.S. troops following Washington’s surprise decision to pull out of Syria.
Libyan authorities say they recover 34 bodies from Islamic State mass grave
The bodies of 34 Ethiopian Christians executed in Libya by Islamic State (IS) in 2015 have been exhumed from a mass grave, Libyan authorities said on Monday.
Ousted Pakistani PM Sharif gets seven years’ jail for graft
Former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to seven years in prison on Monday and fined $25 million on corruption charges that he says were politically motivated.
Iraq appoints two more ministers but government still incomplete
Iraq’s parliament approved on Monday two more ministers in Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi’s cabinet but political divisions blocked his attempts to form a complete government as the defense, interior, and justice portfolios remain empty.
Mexico seeking further information from U.S. on migration plan
Mexico will ask for further information from the U.S. government on its plans to send migrants seeking asylum in the United States to Mexico while their cases are processed, Mexican foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Monday.
