WORLD

The European Union and the United States on Monday placed fresh sanctions on Russia regarding its role in the Ukrainian crisis, with Russia vowing a “painful” response against the measures. The United States imposed the fresh set of sanctions on seven officials and 17 firms connected to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle as punishment for Russia’s failure to ease …

On Friday, Australian authorities said that they would increase the area of their underwater search for the missing flight MH370, as the deep-sea search for the missing place at the suspected crash site comes to a close, with no significant results to speak of. The mini-submarine Bluefin-21 has so far scanned 95% of the initial search area, far off Western …

In the Ukrainian city Donetsk, the split between pro-Russians and nationalists exists on a religious level as well, with a sharp disconnect between churches seeking to Ukraine united and churches with ties to Moscow. Priest of the local Greek Catholic church 43-year-old Father Tikhon said “we should say thank you to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, who helped us to understand …

The British police have asked for the help of Muslim women to stop young people travelling to Syria to be a part of the conflict in the country. The move follows a steep increase in arrests regarding the Syrian conflict. There has been an increase in the number of British people arrested returning from or travelling to Syria, from 25 …

On Thursday, Pakistani jet fighters attacked several Taliban hideouts in the lawless north-western tribal belt, killing at least twelve suspected militants, officials said. This is the first time the military has launched air strikes on the Taliban since their ceasefire agreement to help with the peace talks on March 1. According to security sources, at least twelve militants were killed, …

Pakistan said on Wednesday that it was “encouraged” by comments from India’s election front runner Narendra Modi, who said he would co-operate with foreign governments if he were to be elected as the nation’s Prime Minister. The Hindu nationalist hardliner Narendra Modi and his party, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are widely tipped to come back into power after …

On Wednesday, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Western leaders should set their differences aside with Russia regarding Ukraine so that they can focus on the growing hazard of Islamic terrorism. In a speech, the Middle East envoy said that expansion of extremist ideology in the region along with in Afghanistan, North Africa and Pakistan “represents the biggest threat …

The US is sending 600 troops to Poland and the Baltics to show its commitment to its NATO allies, as tensions between Ukraine and Russia rise over the Ukrainian crisis. To show its continual support to its allies, 150 soldiers from the US Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade based in Vicenza, Italy will be in Poland by Wednesday, and 450 troops …

The United Nations released a statement on Friday reporting the death of at least 58 people in an attack on a UN base in South Sudan in the government-controlled town Bor; over a 100 people were said to be wounded in the attack. Toby Lanzer, the top UN official in the country, praised the efforts of peacekeepers from Nepal, South …

On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Canada would be sending six CF-18 fighter jets to crisis-hit Eastern Europe “in response to a NATO request”. The move will see Canada expanding and its current role in Eastern Europe. “Obviously this is in response to the situation that’s developing there”, Harper said, expressing particular concern over the “expansionism and …