Eurasia

Romanian Minister of Defence Mihai Fifor signed a deal Friday for 227 Piranha V infantry fighting vehicles for the country’s armed forces. The eight-wheel drive vehicles will be purchased under a deal worth €895 million euros (U.S. $1 billion), excluding the value-added tax.

Mali’s army is to deploy patrols in an operation to fight jihadists in the country’s restive centre, according to documents and sources consulted by AFP, as the government expresses concern over extreme instability in the area. Newly-appointed Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga said last week “urgent measures” were required to …

William Spindler, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said in a press briefing on Tuesday in the Swiss city of Geneva that the program was not “coherent” and “has been implemented not in a very transparent manner.” “We are again appealing to Israel to halt its policy …

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif, heading a delegation, left Tehran for Moscow on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said. “Iranian FM is also to have a trip to Brussels on Thursday to attend a meeting with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy …

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the European Commission adopted a Joint Communication proposing an EU strategy for Iraq in order to address the many challenges the country faces following the territorial defeat of the ISIS terrorist group. “Iraq is at a crossroads …

US Vice President Mike Pence will visit the Mideast from January 20 to 23, the White House said on Monday. The White House explained, in a statement, that Pence will visit Egypt, Jordan and Israel.

Forces of the Libyan UN-backed government and the Municipal Council of the western Libyan city of Zuwara on Saturday reached an agreement to stop all military operations carried out by the government’s Western Military Zone service in the area. “An agreement was reached to freeze military operations in the area …

Artillery shelling attack rocked Garabulli district near Tripoli by Al-Kani Brigade of the Defense Ministry of the Government of National Accord Sunday afternoon in retaliation of the abduction of one of the brigade’s fighters on Saturday in the district.

Algeria and Tunisia on Sunday discussed ways and means to strengthen security cooperation, as part of the visit of Tunisian Interior Minister Lotfi Brahem to Algiers. “My visit is part of usual bilateral dialogue between Algiers and Tunis aiming at examining and building on previous experiences for the service of …

Egypt says security forces have killed eight suspected militants in a shootout in the northern Sinai Peninsula. The Interior Ministry said on Tuesday the firefight broke out when the forces raided a suspected hideout in el-Arish city. It said the militants were planning attacks targeting security forces,