French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drain and his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar appear to have sorted out one of the key issues holding up the estimated $15 billion deal to buy 126 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force. A final decision is expected to be taken before Prime …

Egypt shut its embassy in Sanaa and recalled all its staff on Monday due to deteriorating security, state media said, joining a diplomatic exodus since Shiite militia seized the Yemeni capital. Long on the front line of the US war against al-Qaeda, Yemen has descended into chaos since the Shiite …

Mali’s Prime Minister Modibo Keita urged a swift agreement in negotiations with rebels restarting this week in Algiers, saying progress was “looking very good” toward a definitive peace deal in the north. Attempts to reach an accord between Mali’s government and the mostly Tuareg rebel movements demanding more autonomy in …