Moldova's foreign ministry on Monday expelled five Russian diplomats, ordering Moscow to remove them in a move that outraged the country's pro-Russian president. The foreign ministry declared the diplomats "personae non grata," giving the relevant note to the Russian ambassador to Moldova Farit Mukhametshin on Monday, a foreign ministry aide, Artur Sarbu, told AFP, without explaining why they were being expelled.

In the past year, Netanyahu has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin four different times. That has proven vital to Israel's security as Putin becomes more involved in Syria on the side of Israel's enemies. If relations with Moscow are vital for security reasons, relations with Beijing pave a path to continues economic growth. 

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has opened one of the world's biggest collections of Pacific artwork at an event in Sydney. More than 60,000 artefacts from 16 Pacific nations and territories are on display at the Australian Museum's Pacific Spirit exhibition, which opened today.Ms Bishop told Pacific Beat she "jumped at the chance" to support the gallery, as part of a wider campaign of cultural outreach within Australia and across the Pacific.