Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Hassan Diab, has declined to be questioned by the judge who charged him and three former ministers with negligence over the Beirut port blast, an official source said on Monday. Investigating magistrate Fadi Sawan has been criticized for bringing charges by influential parties including the Shi’ite group Hezbollah and Sunni leader […]

The US has officially removed Sudan from a list of state sponsors of terror, according to its embassy in Khartoum. “The congressional notification period of 45 days has lapsed and the Secretary of State has signed a notification stating rescission of Sudan’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation is effective as of today (December 14), to […]

Protesters in Belarus weathered icy conditions Sunday, hitting the streets to demand the resignation of authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko who is facing down months of historic protests against his rule. The Viasna rights group said dozens of people were detained in Minsk as authorities deployed water cannon and large numbers of law enforcement blocked off […]

Long a mere formality, a vote on Monday by members of the Electoral College to formally recognize Joe Biden as the next US president has taken on unusual import this year with Donald Trump refusing to admit defeat. The results of the November 3 vote have been certified by each of the 50 states and […]

Niger voted in long-delayed municipal and regional elections Sunday the day after an attack by the Boko Haram jihadist group claimed at least 27 lives according to local officials, and two weeks ahead of a landmark presidential election. The vote had been postponed repeatedly because of jihadist attacks in parts of the poor Sahel country, […]