Chinese military plane takes off in Australia to search for MH370
The first Chinese military flight in search of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is underway.
The flight has left from Perth in the search for the missing jetliner.
It will be focused on an area around 400-kilometers long and around 30-kilometers wide.
This is the area searchers feel is the best location to search for possible debris from the plane spotted by Australian satellite images last week.
Chinese military aircraft arrived in Australia Saturday to assist in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight, which disappeared over 2-weeks ago with 239-passangers and crew onboard, including 154 from China.
Last of Ukrainian marines remain at their base
A Ukrainian marine battallion, which remains in Russian-annexed Crimea, is now in the process of negotiating with Russian forces on handing over the base.
The Feodosia base is home to Ukraine's top military unit and one of the last military facilities still under Ukrainian control in Crimea.
On Saturday, Russian troops seized a Ukrainian air base and naval base in Crimea.
The Russian Defense Ministry says the Russian flag is currently flying over 189 military facilities in Crimea.
Russia's move to take control of Crimea has sent relations among Russia, Europe and the United States to their lowest point since the Cold War.
The United States and the European Union are set to hold an emergency meeting of the Group of Seven leaders later today in the Netherlands.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is representing Russia at the Nuclear Security Summit in the Hague, is expected to hold talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry on sidelines of the event.
Syria accuses Turkey of "flagrant aggression" for downing warplane
The Syrian government is slamming Turkey for what it describes as "flagrant agression" after one of its war planes was shot down near the Syrian-Turkish border.
Damascus is characterizing the incident as proof the Turkish government is supporting armed terrorist groups in Syria.
Syrian authorities say their plane was shot down by Turkish air defenses while targeting armed militants which had moved from Turkey into northern Syria.
The Turkish government says its airforce shot down the Syrian jet after it violated Turkish airspace.
The plane itself crashed on a buffer zone between the border separating the Syrian province of Latakia with the Turkish province of Hatay.
The pilot of the Syrian jet managed to safely eject.
The Syrian government has been fighting a new offensive launched by jihadist groups in the same region since Friday.
Pakistani PM says direct talks with Taliban in one or two days
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has revealed the government expects to hold direct talks with the Taliban in the next day or two.
The revelation comes just a day after the Pakistani government and the Taliban agreed on a venue for the direct talks.
Neither side has disclosed the location for the talks for security reasons.
Pakistani government negotiators started peace talks with Taliban intermediaries last month.
That led to a month-long unilateral ceasefire by the Taliban.
One of the government's lead negotiators admits there is still some mistrust that exists, but says they expect to get past that when they meet this week.
Algeria kicks off presidential campaign
The official campaign is underway in Algeria for the country's presidental elections.
A total of six candiates are up for the position.
However, most observers expect it to come down to a 2-way race between long time incumbent Abdelaziz Bouteflika and former Prime Minister Ali Benflis.
Benflis was appointed as the Prime Minister by Bouteflika in 2000.
However, he left his post 3-years later in a dispute with Bouteflika.
The 77-year old Bouteflika, who has been involved in Algerian politics since the country escaped colonial rule in the early 1960's, is looking for a 4th term as President.
Former Spanish PM Suarez dies, King Juan Carlos leads praise
Former Spanish Prime Minister Adolfo Suarez has died.
Suarez passed away Sunday after a prolonged illness.
He's best known as the first Spanish prime minister following the death of long-time Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.
King Juan Carlos, who appointed Suarez after the King replaced Franco as head of state, has been one of the first to pay homage to Suarez, describing him as a man who put the interests of Spain above those of the interests of his party.
Suarez had been suffereing from the effects of Alzheimers Disease for the past decade.
He was 81.
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