Egypt closed its embassy in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Monday, as some of the worst violence to flare up in months engulfed the city. The fighting began on Monday, as gun battles between Houthi militias and the national army erupted in the proximity of the presidential palace the same …

Fighting raged on Saturday at the main airport of Ukraine’s city of Donetsk as separatists resumed attempts to break the tenuous grip of government forces on the complex and Kiev’s military said three more Ukrainian soldiers had been killed. With attempts to restart peace talks stalled, pro-Russian rebels have stepped …

France on Monday strongly condemned the latest attacks in Nigeria and Cameroon by Islamist extremist group Boko Haram and also praised the support role of Chad in moving forces to combat the militants in the region. Deadly attacks and kidnappings were reported in north-east Cameroon on January 17-18, which coincided …

The European Union’s top diplomat on Saturday welcomed the “initial progress” made in UN-brokered talks to end Libya’s civil war, conducted this week in Geneva. “Some steps in the right direction have been taken,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement, adding however that there is “still …

Libya’s army announced a ceasefire on Sunday, joining an Islamist-backed militia alliance in declaring a truce that the UN hailed as a “significant” step towards ending months of violence. “We declare a ceasefire from midnight [22:00 GMT] Sunday,” the army said, stressing however that it would continue to pursue “terrorists”, …

Kurdish fighters battling the Islamic State ıf Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria’s Kobane have captured a strategic hilltop, giving them line of fire over the town, a monitor said Jan. 19. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Kurdish People’s Defense Units (YPG) had seized the …

The foreign minister assistant for neighbouring countries Osama Al-Magdoub, and the Egyptian ambassador in Libya Mohamed Abu Bakr, met representatives from the Libyan tribe Awlad Solieman in Cairo on Sunday. “The meeting aims at keeping track of the security situation in Libya, especially in the southern part,” the foreign ministry …

The UN Security Council has welcomed a ceasefire announced by an Islamist-backed militia in Libya and threatened to impose sanctions on those who obstruct peace efforts. The 15-member council voiced support for a second round of UN-brokered talks to be held in Geneva next week and strongly urged all warring …

A local official says the Taliban have attacked Afghan troops in eastern Laghman province, triggering a gunbattle that killed two soldiers and wounded a third. The provincial governor’s spokesman Sarhadi Zwak says the attack began around today in Alishing district.

EU foreign ministers met today on building an alliance — including with Muslim countries — against a growing Islamist militant threat, with Europe on high alert after deadly Paris attacks and anti-terrorism raids in Belgium. The immediate focus for the 28-nation European Union is how to prevent citizens known as “foreign fighters” …