Ukrainian parliament approves bill on increasing number of soldiers in country’s armed forces. The Ukrainian parliament approved a bill Thursday that would boost the number of soldiers in the country to 250,000.

The UN Security Council will meet on Friday to take stock of the latest efforts to prop up a ceasefire in east Ukraine, diplomats said. The 15-member council has endorsed the February 15 ceasefire reached between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany to end the 10-month conflict, Europe’s worst since the …

The signing of the peace and reconciliation agreement in Mali is a “very significant” step made by Algeria in its efforts for the resolution of the conflict in the neighbouring country, said Tuesday in Geneva Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra.