Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned on Thursday, a day after President Donald Trump stunned the US establishment by ordering a troop withdrawal from Syria.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday told critics of fuel tax hikes "you're right" after 1.15 million people signed a petition following violent "yellow vest" protests.

Britain called in the army on Thursday after dozens of drone sightings grounded all flights from London's Gatwick airport for more than 24 hours, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded on one of the busiest days of the year.

Germany will close its last black coal mine on Friday, a milestone marking the end of a 200-year-old industry that once fuelled the country's economic growth but lost the battle against cheaper foreign competitors.

The US Justice Department on Thursday indicted two Chinese hackers tied to Beijing's security services who allegedly targeted companies and agencies in a dozen countries, which US officials said showed President Xi Jinping had not fulfilled his pledge to stop cybercrime.

 China has arrested a third Canadian national, Ottawa said Wednesday - a move that comes amid an already tense diplomatic spat with Beijing over the arrest of a Chinese telecom executive.

The EU and Italy on Wednesday called a truce in their bitter row over Rome's disputed 2019 budget, as the populist government agreed to put off signature reforms.

At least 19 staff members of a non-governmental organisation died and six were injured on Tuesday when the bus they were travelling in lost control and hurtled off a cliff in eastern Uganda, police said.

A safety panel set up by US President Donald Trump in the wake of numerous school shootings recommended Tuesday that schools consider arming staff, using veterans as guards and reversing Obama-era guidelines.