Eurasia

Government forces were forced to abandon Luhansk Airport as separatists were reportedly supported by a column of Russian tanks, says Ukrainian military official. Ukrainian forces abandoned Luhansk airport in the eastern part of the country Monday.

Turkey’s new President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday arrived at the disputed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Ankara, on his first foreign trip since being sworn in four days ago. Erdogan is scheduled to hold talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu on bilateral relations and efforts …

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen Monday said the Alliance summit in Wales, UK, on Thursday and Friday will address the challenges of a changed world. “I expect it to be a crucial summit in NATO’s history. This is a time of multiple crises on several fronts. To the east, …

Ukrainian troops on Sept. 1 were battling a Russian tank contingent in the eastern city of Lugansk, Kiev said, accusing Moscow’s army units of moving into large cities in the region. “The battle between Ukrainian paratroopers and a reinforced tank battalion of the Russian armed forces is continuing with the goal of controlling the …

Up to 15,000 Russian soldiers have been sent to Ukraine over the past two months, and at least several hundred have apparently died in combat there, rights groups exposing army abuses told AFP on Sept. 1.

Iraqi security forces and Shiite militiamen on Sunday broke a six-week siege imposed by the Islamic State extremist group on the northern Shiite Turkmen town of Amirli, as a suicide bombing killed 14 people in Anbar western province, officials said.

Syrian troops battled rebels hard by the armistice line with Israel on the Golan Heights today as the United Nations pressed efforts to free 44 peacekeepers held by the insurgents. Several mortar rounds struck close to the ceasefire line as the combatants exchanged rocket, mortar and tank fire near the …

Sameh Shoukry headed to Europe on Sunday with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations and economic ties with visits to Berlin, Paris and Rome. The foreign minister is expected to meet French President Francois Hollande and consult with Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and members of the French business community, according …

Afghanistan and the USA have signed a long-delayed agreement to allow international forces to stay in the country beyond 2014. In a low-key ceremony at the presidential palace, the Afghan national security adviser and the US ambassador signed the bilateral security agreement in the presence of the new Afghan president, …

Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif agreed Thursday on measures to resume the stalled negotiations, aimed at resolving the political crisis.