
Obama approves sending up to 1,500 more US troops to Iraq
WASHINGTON – President Obama has approved sending up to 1,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq, doubling the number being deployed to help Iraqi forces fight the Islamic State. The president also requested an additional $5.6 billion on Friday for the war against the Islamic State, in part to... read more »

Abbott-Putin showdown locked in for APEC
Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s promise to deliver Vladimir Putin a robust conversation will come to a head on Tuesday with the Kremlin confirming the two leaders will hold formal talks at the APEC summit in Beijing. Mr Abbott has been seeking a face-to-face meeting with the Russian president... read more »

Gaza Explosions Hit Senior Fatah Members’ Homes
TEL AVIV—Unidentified militants in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip bombed the homes of top officials of the Fatah movement on Friday, rekindling political tensions between the Palestinians’ two most powerful political factions. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the 14 nearly... read more »

Typhoon Haiyan: Million Still Homeless A Year On
A million people made homeless by Typhoon Haiyan are still living in tents and makeshift huts a year after 170mph winds devastated parts of the Philippines. Oxfam says they are “dangerously exposed” as the typhoon season begins again. More than 7,300 died or went missing when Haiyan... read more »