MOSCOW—Tens of thousands of people gathered in the Belarusian capital of Minsk to protest the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko and the fierce crackdown that followed the disputed presidential vote as the country’s defense ministry warned that disorder in the city wouldn’t be tolerated. Sunday’s demonstration, dubbed “March for a New Belarus” marked the 15th … Read more
Libya’s two rival governments declared a cease-fire in the country’s civil war on Friday, easing months of tensions that threatened to draw forces from Turkey, Egypt, Russia and other regional powers into a wider conflict. Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of Libya’s U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, “issued instructions to all military forces to immediately … Read more
WASHINGTON—Iraq’s new prime minister and President Trump refrained on Thursday from setting a schedule for withdrawing American troops from the country, as they grappled with the threat posed by remnants of Islamic State and the ongoing need to train Iraqi forces. “We definitely don’t need combat troops in Iraq,” said Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who met with … Read more
TEL AVIV—Talks between the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates on a potential sale of advanced F-35 jets is raising thorny questions for Israel’s security in the Middle East. The U.A.E. has long sought the jet fighters, and the deal last week to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel was forged with an understanding that the … Read more
Fighting between Islamic extremist rebels and Mozambique’s army over a key port is threatening to disrupt the East African nation’s burgeoning natural-gas developments, including a multibillion-dollar project led by French energy giant Total SA . The insurgent group, which is affiliated with Islamic State, seized control of the Mocimboa da Praia port this month and … Read more
Iran unveiled two new missiles Thursday amid fresh tensions with the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East, demonstrating a development of an arsenal with sophistication and reach capable of threatening and deterring its foes across the region. The display of new missiles adds to a buildup of regional animosity after the U.A.E. and … Read more
Mindful of Russia’s warning against interfering in Belarus, European Union leaders have taken a nuanced approach to the unfolding crisis, preparing sanctions against officials they say are responsible for rigging this month’s presidential election and violently dispersing protesters, while emphasizing that only Belarusians can resolve the turmoil there. The EU’s 27 heads of state and … Read more
BERLIN—German police are investigating a series of apparently deliberate crashes on a Berlin highway as a possible act of terror, authorities said Wednesday. Police overpowered and detained a 30-year-old Iraqi-born man Tuesday night, after he allegedly rammed his car into several vehicles on the A100 highway that bisects the German capital, police spokeswoman, Patricia Bremer, … Read more
JOHANNESBURG—Military officers who staged a coup in Mali that forced the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita pledged on Wednesday to form a civilian transitional government to quickly organize fresh elections. Dressed in combat fatigues and sat behind a wooden desk, five soldiers appeared on state television shortly after sunrise. A spokesman for the mutineers, who call themselves … Read more
MOSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin warned top European leaders against interfering in the political crisis engulfing Russia’s longtime ally, Belarus, as protests against its leader continued to swell. Mr. Putin spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in separate calls Tuesday, a day before an emergency European Union summit was scheduled to … Read more