Former IMF chief Rodrigo Rato was handed a jail sentence of four years and six months for misusing funds when he was the boss of two Spanish banks Spain's National Court, which deals with corruption and financial crime cases, said he had been found guilty of "embezzlement" when he headed up Caja Madrid and Bankia, at a time when both groups were having difficulties.

The number of people applying for asylum in Britain in 2016 was just over 38,500, falling for the first time in six years, official data showed on Thursday. But refugee advocates said the drop was no cause for celebration, with ever more people fleeing their homes in an increasingly dangerous world.

The Department of Homeland Security issued tough new orders Tuesday to begin a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigrants, putting nearly all of the country's 11 million undocumented foreigners in their cross-hairs. Two memos issued by DHS Secretary John Kelly order border patrol and immigration officers to deport as quickly as possible any illegal immigrants they find, with only a few exceptions, principally children.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman will visit Jakarta and Bali on the Indonesian leg of his Asian tour next month, bringing 1,500 people in his entourage including 10 ministers, Indonesian officials said. "This is a very historic visit for us," Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung told reporters on Tuesday, adding that the king would be in Indonesia from March 1 to 9. He would spend the last six days of his trip "relaxing" in Bali.

Donald Trump tapped respected Army lieutenant general H.R. McMaster as his national security advisor Monday, hoping to course correct after his first pick resigned and his second turned down the vital post. Trump announced the counterinsurgency strategist's appointment at his Florida estate Mar-a-Lago, ending a one-week search to replace Michael Flynn, who lasted less than a month on the job.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, the world's oldest national ruler, turned 93 on Tuesday, using a long and occasionally rambling interview to vow to remain in power despite growing signs of frailty. He celebrated with his staff in a private ceremony in Harare as supporters and ruling ZANU-PF party officials filled state media with gushing messages of goodwill and congratulations.

South Sudan's government said Monday that the country's over three-year war has led to famine in parts of the nation, while nearly five million people -- half the population -- is going hungry.

After President Donald Trump's raucous first month in office, Europeans have reacted with demonstrations, counter-barbs and sheer angst that a century of trans-Atlantic friendship may be sinking.

Any U.S. attempt to divide Europeans is doomed to fail as Washington lacks the capacity to offset the benefits the European Union offers its members, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in an interview with newspaper Journal du Dimanche on Sunday.

Martin Schulz, the German Social Democrats' candidate for federal elections in September, would beat Chancellor Angela Merkel if balloting was based on a direct leadership vote, a poll showed on Friday.

US Homeland Security chief John Kelly on Saturday said a new presidential immigrant ban will be better prepared and implemented to ensure there is no repeat of the chaos caused by the first.

Kazakhstan said a new round of talks on the Syria conflict backed by Russia, Turkey and Iran and endorsed by the United Nations were going ahead Thursday after a day's delay. A plenary session involving all three power-brokers and delegations from the Syrian government and opposition is scheduled to begin at 16:00 local time (09:00 GMT), a Kazakh foreign ministry official said at a press briefing in Astana on Thursday.

A crisis over the relationship between President Donald Trump's aides and Russia deepened on Wednesday as a growing number of Trump's fellow Republicans demanded expanded congressional inquiries into the matter.

The Egyptian committee mediating between rival political factions in Libya issued a statement Tuesday night saying it found common ground between the various parties during current talks in Cairo which could form the foundation of a political settlement to end the country's civil war.

U.S. President Donald Trump's defence secretary warned NATO allies on Wednesday that they must honour military spending pledges to ensure the United States does not "moderate" support for the alliance.

Tunisia's prime minister on Tuesday rejected German claims that his country has been blocking the return of rejected asylum seekers including the key suspect in the Berlin attack, hours ahead of talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Donald Trump's national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned amid controversy over his contacts with the Russian government, a first stunning departure from the president's inner circle less than a month after his inauguration.

French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron is a "fake news" target of Russian media and his campaign is facing thousands of cyber attacks, his party chief said on Monday. Richard Ferrand, secretary-general of Macron's En Marche! (Onwards!) party, said that Russian state-controlled media Russia Today and Sputnik had spread false reports with the aim of swinging public opinion against Macron.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Donald Trump will participate in a roundtable discussion about women in the work force Monday; an early sign of cooperation, as Trudeau seeks to have good relations so Canada is not targeted in trade talks.

The head of the International Monetary Fund says U.S. President Donald Trump taking office is likely good for the U.S. economy in the short term, though rising

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday he would present "responsible policies" in talks with US President Donald Trump, signalling to the Israeli far-right to curb its territorial demands in the occupied West Bank.