Defense Minister

Colombian President Iván Duque ordered a curfew in the nation’s capital Friday amid continuing unrest following a massive march a day before that brought tens of thousands to the streets in a strong message of rejection against his conservative government.

One came from northeast England. Another came from the former Soviet Union. A third was born in Canada to parents who’d fled the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. Several witnesses who testified in the House impeachment inquiry this week chose to highlight their immigrant backgrounds, sharing their families’ stories in highly personal opening statements. They drew a connection to how...

During her congressional testimony, former White House adviser Fiona Hill refuted claims that she had expressed concerns over the professional judgment of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a key witness in the impeachment hearings. Vindman’s reputation and insight into the Ukraine investigations had come under question during testimony from fellow National Security Council staffer Tim Morrison on Tuesday.

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman testified before lawmakers on Tuesday that he had turned down repeated offers from Ukraine to work as the country’s Defense Minister, saying that “the whole notion is rather comical.”

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman testified before lawmakers on Tuesday that he had turned down repeated offers from Ukraine to work as the country’s Defense Minister, saying that “the whole notion is rather comical.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Sunday the United States and South Korea have indefinitely postponed a joint military exercise in an “act of goodwill” toward North Korea. The move comes even as Japan’s defense minister, whose country feels threatened by repeated North Korean missile launches, told Esper “no one could be optimistic about” changing the North’s behavior. The statement...

Israel says it has resumed strikes on targets linked to the Islamic Jihad militant group in Gaza after it fired a number of rockets into Israel. The announcement by the Israeli military early Friday indicated that an unofficial cease-fire declared nearly 24 hours earlier was breaking down.

Colombia’s defense minister resigned Wednesday after coming under fire for failing to disclose the deaths of several minors in a military operation against dissidents belonging to the nation’s once largest guerrilla. Guillermo Botero submitted a resignation letter to President Iván Duque, touting his achievements in reducing crime while stating that the current “political circumstances” had compelled him to step...

The Arab bloc in Israel’s parliament abandoned its usual hands-off stance Sunday and endorsed former military chief Benny Gantz for prime minister, potentially giving him the edge over hard-line incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu. The historic move marked the first time in nearly three decades that the Arab parties backed a candidate for prime minster, reflecting their contempt for Netanyahu, who was...

After a decade of mesmerizing world leaders, subduing his rivals and eking out dramatic election victories, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future is suddenly in doubt. With near-final results from Israel’s election on Tuesday, he has been left well short of the parliamentary majority he had sought — not only to continue in power but also to fend off a...

Tunisians are casting ballots in their North African country’s second democratic presidential election, choosing among 26 candidates for a leader who can safeguard its young democracy and tackle its unemployment, corruption and economic despair. The voting followed a noisy but brief campaign — 12 days — marked by backbiting and charges of corruption among the contenders. All vowed to boost...

Backed by military aircraft, Brazilian troops on Saturday were deploying in the Amazon to fight fires that have swept the region and prompted anti-government protests as well as an international outcry. President Jair Bolsonaro also tried to temper global concern, saying previously deforested areas had burned and that intact rainforest was spared. Even so, the fires were likely to be...

North Korea continued to ramp up its weapons demonstrations by firing two presumed short-range ballistic missiles into the sea Tuesday while lashing out at the United States and South Korea for continuing military exercises that the North says could derail fragile nuclear diplomacy. North Korea’s fourth round of weapons launches in less than two weeks came amid a standstill in...

U.S. authorities said their EP-3 plane was performing a multi-nationally approved mission on Friday and the Venezuelan SU-30 fighter jet closely trailed the plane, which the U.S. says endangered its crew.

If you looked up at the sky, around 1:50 p.m. today, you may have caught the rare sight of a fighter jet flyover.

The Trump administration ended a week of pointed but vague threats of a military response to the Venezuelan political crisis with a meeting at the Pentagon to consider its options, though there was still no sign any action was on the horizon. Shortly after Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and other senior officials reviewed options in light of a failed...

President Donald Trump on Easter morning offered condolences to the people of Sri Lanka, continued his attacks on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and attended service at the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea near his Florida estate.

Venezuela’s opposition leader called on more members of the military to abandon the country’s socialist government following Saturday’s defection of a high-ranking general, while President Nicolas Maduro proposed holding early National Assembly elections that could potentially oust his challenger. Maduro’s call for early legislative voting is likely to intensify his standoff with rival Juan Guaido, who heads the opposition-controlled National...

Following in the footsteps of the U.S., Russia will abandon a centerpiece nuclear arms treaty but will only deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles if Washington does so, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday. President Donald Trump accused Moscow on Friday of violating the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty with “impunity” by deploying banned missiles. Trump said in a statement that the U.S....

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces treaty with Russia, saying Russia has “shamelessly” violated the Cold War-era pact. Withdrawing will allow the U.S. to develop and test missiles banned by the pact.