WORLD

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that under no circumstances would he give Crimea back to Ukraine, speaking in a new documentary released Sunday ahead of his expected re-election in next week’s poll. “What, have you gone mad?” he told a journalist who asked him if …

Istanbul, Turkey | AFP | Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday angrily lashed out at NATO, accusing the Western military alliance of failing to back Turkey’s campaign against Kurdish militia in Syria. Erdogan’s latest comments were among the toughest he has directed in recent times against NATO, which Turkey joined …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | Saudi King Salman has ordered specialised anti-corruption units to be established in the public prosecutor’s office, the government said Sunday, several weeks after a sweeping anti-graft purge of the kingdom’s elite. The move was intended to “increase effectiveness” and accelerate the process of combating corruption, …

Mattis Muscat, Oman | AFP | US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Sunday he would not be speaking about the delicate situation with North Korea, saying the White House and State Department are leading the negotiations. “This is a diplomatically led effort,” Mattis told reporters when asked about a possible meeting …

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition accused the embattled premier on Sunday of perpetuating a “fake crisis” over a political dispute to potentially force early elections. The dispute comes as Netanyahu faces a possible indictment on bribery charges in the coming months. Polls suggest …

Valparaíso, Chile | AFP | Conservative billionaire Sebastian Pinera was sworn in Sunday to his second term as president of Chile, replacing socialist Michelle Bachelet in the office for the second time in eight years. An emotional Bachelet helped Pinera put on the sash of office, gave him a kiss and …

Bogota, Colombia | AFP | Colombians went to the polls Sunday to elect a new Congress with a resurgent right, bitterly opposed to a peace deal that allows leftist former rebels to participate, expected to poll strongly. The election is set to be the calmest in half a century of …

Paris, France | AFP | The Chinese Communist Party’s decision to give President Xi Jinping a mandate to rule for life is further evidence of the world’s slide towards more nationalist, authoritarian regimes, analysts said. China’s rubber-stamp parliament, meeting in the imposing Great Hall of the People for an annual …

Beijing, China | AFP | China’s Xi Jinping on Sunday secured a path to rule indefinitely as parliament abolished presidential term limits, handing him almost total authority to pursue a vision of transforming the nation into an economic and military superpower. The move reverses the era of “collective” leadership and …

Moon Township, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump predicted “tremendous success” Saturday in upcoming groundbreaking talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and suggested the reclusive state wants to “make peace” despite a years-long nuclear standoff. The comments came after the American leader said he has received encouragement …