INTERNATIONAL

The United Nations envoy for Libya has proposed the formation of a national unity government, after months of difficult talks. Since 2014 Libya has had two rival parliaments – an Islamist-backed one in Tripoli and an internationally recognised government in the east. However, several MPs on both sides of the divide have described the latest announcement as premature. Both parliaments ...

Nato has renewed assurances to defend allies in view of the “escalation of Russian military activities” in Syria, the alliance’s secretary-general says. Jens Stoltenberg said defence ministers had decided to boost response forces to be able to deploy troops speedily. Nato member Turkey has complained that Russian jets have violated its airspace recently. Russia has used cruise missiles as well ...

Russia’s growing military involvement in the Syria conflict is expected to be high on the agenda of Nato defence ministers meeting in Brussels. It comes after Nato member Turkey said Russian jets had violated its airspace. Russia has fired missiles from a warship in addition to air strikes to support Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. But Moscow denies Westerns accusations that ...

Russia says it has launched rocket strikes on Islamic State group targets in Syria from warships in the Caspian Sea – about 1,500km (930 miles) away. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said four warships fired 26 sea-based cruise missiles on 11 targets, destroying them and causing no civilian casualties. Meanwhile, Syrian ground troops have launched an offensive under Russian air cover, ...

A Palestinian has been shot dead after wounding two Israelis in an attack in southern Israel, Israeli police say. Amjad Gundi, a 20-year-old man from the West Bank village of Yatta, stabbed a soldier and tried to take his weapon in the town of Kiryat Gat before being shot dead by police, a spokesman said. Earlier, a Palestinian woman stabbed ...

The EU is beginning a new operation to intercept boats smuggling migrants across the Mediterranean. Under Operation Sophia, naval vessels will be able to board, search, seize and divert vessels suspected of being used for human trafficking. Until now the EU has focused on surveillance and rescue operations. So far this year, more than 130,000 migrants and refugees have crossed ...

The pilot who collapsed and died on an American Airlines overnight flight from Phoenix to Boston has been identified. Cpt Michael Johnston, 57, was flying the plane with 147 passengers and five crew on board when he “passed away while at work”, the airline said. The first officer took over and made an emergency landing in Syracuse. Johnston’s wife told ...

Turkey has again summoned the Russian ambassador after a second violation of its airspace by a Russian warplane operating in Syria in two days. It did the same after the first violation on Saturday, after which two Turkish F-16 jets were scrambled. Turkey said the second violation occurred on Sunday. Nato has urged Russia to end air strikes “on the ...

Two Air France managers were forced to flee a meeting about job cuts after angry workers broke into the room. The managers, one of whom had his shirt ripped from his body, were involved in talks about nearly plans 2,900 job losses at the airline. Parent firm Air France-KLM has said it will seek to take legal action over the ...

The number of people seeking asylum in Germany this year will be as high as 1.5 million – almost double the previous estimate, German media report. The German government has not confirmed the new estimate, which comes from an internal official report cited by popular daily Bild. The report warns that services helping refugees will not be able to cope. ...