PARIS: Thirty jihadists were killed in a clash with French and Malian troops near Mali's border with Niger, the French military said yesterday, reports AFP. The fight, involving a group of about 60 jihadists, took place on Sunday in the Akabar area, spokesman Colonel Patrik Steiger said, adding…

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe defeated a no-confidence motion in parliament late Wednesday but political tensions rose after 13 MPs from an allied party voted against him, reports AFP. Wickremesinghe said he would hold talks with President Maithripala Sirisena after coming…

Brasilia: Brazil's ex-President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will be jailed while he appeals against a graft conviction, the Supreme Court has ruled, reports BBC. He is facing 12 years in jail on charges of accepting a bribe but had asked to remain free during his appeal. Lula claims the charges…

MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said yesterday London cannot ignore Moscow's "legitimate questions" over the poisoning of an ex-spy, as he called for a "substantial and responsible" probe into the case, reports AFP. "It will not be possible to ignore the legitimate…

ADEN: The battle for the Yemeni province of Saada is heating up, military leaders said yesterday, as a Saudi-led alliance turns its focus on the rebel bastion used to fire missiles at the kingdom, reports AFP. Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels have launched a string of ballistic missile attacks on Saudi…