PERTH, Australia — Australia deployed military ships and aircraft Wednesday to help communities ravaged by apocalyptic wildfires that have left at least 17 people dead nationwide and sent thousands of residents and holidaymakers fleeing to the shoreline. Navy ships and military aircraft were bringing water, food and fuel to towns...
Esper Says Iran May Be Planning More Attacks on US Interests
WASHINGTON — Iran or its proxy forces may be planning further strikes on American interests in the Middle East, and the U.S. is prepared to take preemptive military action if it gets sufficient warning, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday. “The game has changed,” Esper said, citing a series of...
Turkish Lawmakers Authorize Sending Troops to Fight in Libya
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's parliament on Thursday authorized the deployment of troops to Libya to support the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli that is battling forces loyal to a rival government seeking to capture the capital. Turkish lawmakers voted 325-184 at an emergency session in favor of a one-year mandate allowing...
In Afghanistan, Jailed Taliban Await Peace, Their Freedom
PUL-E-CHARKHI, Afghanistan — Thousands of Taliban prisoners jailed in Afghanistan as insurgents see a peace deal being hammered out between the United States and the Taliban as their ticket to freedom. They know a prisoner release is a key pillar of any agreement that brings an end to Afghanistan’s 18-year...
Iran-Backed Iraqi Militia Vows Revenge to US Airstrikes
BAGHDAD — An Iranian-backed militia said Monday that the death toll from U.S. military strikes in Iraq and Syria against its fighters has risen to 25, vowing to exact revenge for the "aggression of evil American ravens." The U.S. attack — the largest yet targeting an Iraqi state-sanctioned militia —...
Kim Calls for Measures to Protect North Korea's Security
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for his military and diplomats to prepare unspecified “offensive measures” to protect the country’s security and sovereignty, the North’s state media said Monday, before his end-of-year deadline for the Trump administration to make major concessions to salvage a fragile...
Japan OKs Divisive Plan to Send Naval Troops to Mideast
TOKYO — Japan on Friday approved a contentious plan to send its naval troops to the Middle East to ensure the safety of Japanese ships transporting oil to the energy-poor country that heavily depends on imports from the region. The Cabinet's decision reflects tensions that have escalated between Iran and...
Iraq President Rejects Iran-Backed Bloc's Nominee as PM
BAGHDAD — Iraq's president refused Thursday to designate the Iran-backed parliamentary bloc's nominee for prime minister after he was rejected by anti-government protesters, saying he was prepared to submit his resignation to Parliament. Barham Saleh said in a statement issued by his office that he would not name the governor...
Official: Pensacola Shooter Saudi Arabian Aviation Student
PENSACOLA, Fla. — A U.S. official has identified the shooter at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola as a Saudi Arabian aviation student. Authorities are investigating if the shooting was terrorism-related. The shooting was the second at a U.S. Navy base this week. Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan says 11...
Kim Again Rides Horse up Sacred Peak as N. Korea Raps Trump
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rode a white horse up a sacred mountain in his second symbolic visit in less than two months, state media reported Wednesday, as his military chief lashed out at U.S. President Donald Trump for talking about a possible military option...