Eurasia

India and France will hold the first formal consultations this week for concluding the Rafale deal announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Paris last month. Indian and French sources said the two sides will discuss the broad contours of the way forward to finalize the “government to government” …

The European Parliament Thursday passed a resolution by 516 votes to 11 strongly condemning the massacres perpetrated by the Boko Haram group in Nigeria. It urged the Nigerian authorities to do their utmost to end the violence and tackle the root causes of the terrorism, including corruption. The EP urged …

The EU on Thursday voiced concern over violent acts in Mali in recent days, especially in the town of Menaka, and the ceasefire violations. A statement by Catherine Ray, spokesperson for EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, said these violations constitute serious obstacles to the consolidation of the climate of confidence …

The Nigeria Military reports it has taken over Gwoza, the phantom caliphate headquarters of the Boko Haram sect. A statement from the Defense Headquarters in Abuja, confirmed the breakthrough.

Kenya’s interior minister on Thursday admitted that intelligence was ignored and the security response botched regarding the Islamist massacre of nearly 150 people at Garissa university in April. “There was lack of coordination on the side of the officers, there was intelligence that this place was going to be attacked,” …

Some 123 U.S. soldiers arrived in Turkey for training of moderate Syrian opposition, along with weapons that are being transferred to İncirlik Airbase for equipping part of the program. Syrians, who will be trained in Hirfanlı military base in Kırşehir, will be transferred to southern Hatay where they will be …

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is likely to arrive in India next week to hold talks with his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar to carry forward the over US $6 billion deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets.

The Nigerian army has freed at least 160 girls and women from the hands of Boko Haram, as it continued its advance on the Sambisa natural reserve, the last major stronghold of the terrorist group, an official said on Thursday.

At least 19 people were killed and another 22 were wounded in clashes between the army and Tuareg separatists, who since Wednesday have been trying to gain control of the city of Lere in the northwest of the country, a defence ministry statement said on Thursday.

At least 27 militants and five security personnel were killed on Thursday during a military operation in Khyber Agency, a tribal area in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas region of Pakistan, media reported.