A strong earthquake registering 6.0 on the Richter scale struck the Greek island of Lefkada Tuesday, killing two people and damaging roads and buildings, local authorities said.

A woman in her sixties was killed by a falling rock caused by a landslide on her house in the village of Ponti Vassilikis, the island's deputy mayor Christos Kaliforis told Vima radio.

European Union defense ministers on Tuesday unanimously backed France's request for help with military missions in the wake of the Paris attacks, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said.

"France has requested aid and assistance in accordance with article 42-7. It's an article that has never been used before in the history of our union," Mogherini said, referring to part of the EU treaties that provides for solidarity of member states in the event one of them is attacked.

At least eight people drowned when a boat carrying migrants from Turkey sank off the Greek island of Kos, the coastguard said Tuesday.

They were the latest of nearly 3,500 deaths at sea this year among people making desperate bids to flee war and poverty and to reach Europe, according to U.N. figures.

Kosovo's opposition fired tear gas and pepper spray in parliament Tuesday while protesters outside threw stones and paint, in the latest eruption of a long-running protest against agreements made with Serbia.

Opposition MPs have been paralyzing parliamentary sessions for weeks in a bid to thwart EU-brokered dialogue and agreements with Serbia, the country from which Kosovo broke away and declared independence in 2008.

Five Tanzanian gold miners have been rescued after spending 41 trapped deep underground eating cockroaches and frogs to survive, the mining ministry and survivors said Tuesday.

The miners were among a group of around 20 that were in pit when a shaft they were working on collapsed on October 5.

Beijing has the "right and ability" to seize South China Sea islands occupied by other countries, a senior Chinese diplomat said Tuesday, ahead of regional summits expected to discuss the contested waters.

Beijing claims virtually the entire South China Sea and has sought to reinforce its position by rapidly constructing artificial islands capable of hosting military facilities.

Afghans fear for their safety more than at any time in over a decade, according to an annual survey published Tuesday, which also found confidence in the government at its lowest since polling began.

Some 67.4 percent of Afghans say they are worried about their well-being at all times, often, or sometimes, the highest figure since the survey began in 2004, and up two percentage points from a year earlier.

India has deployed the army and air force to rescue flood-hit residents in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, where at least 71 people have died in around a week of torrential rains.

Media reports said military helicopters were being used to drop food and drinking water to the worst-hit areas, while schools and businesses in state capital Chennai had been forced to close.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday offered the Philippines a warship as part of a $250-million aid package to Southeast Asian allies worried about Chinese efforts to control the South China Sea.

Obama made the pledges aboard the Philippine Navy's flagship, shortly after arriving in Manila for a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders to also be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Investigators probing the deadly Paris attacks have so far identified five of seven gunmen and suicide bombers whose bodies were found at three sites across the city, while the hunt is on for others.

Here is a look at the men behind France's worst-ever terror attacks, which struck a concert venue, bars, restaurants and a stadium.