Algerians vote Thursday in the first elections since popular protests forced longtime leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika from power. The opposition, which is calling for voters to boycott the elections, held a protest in Algiers on the eve of the poll that was forcibly dispersed by police. Algeria’s powerful army chief promises that a presidential election on […]

Spain’s King Felipe VI on Wednesday tasked acting prime minister Pedro Sanchez with forming a new government even though he lacks support from other parties to form a workable majority in parliament. After meeting party representatives at the royal palace since Tuesday, as is the norm after an election, the king had formally asked the […]

Two Katyusha rockets landed near the “outside perimeter” of Baghdad International Airport on Wednesday, a statement from the military said. The statement said there were no reported damages. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Wednesday’s attack came two days after four Katyusha rockets struck a base near Baghdad International Airport, wounding five members of […]

France’s prime minister on Wednesday refused to back down on his government’s controversial pension reform plans in the face of a crippling week-old transport freeze. Edouard Philippe said he stood “firm” on the principle of his proposed pension changes but that he remained open to discussions on the measures. Earlier he sought to strike a […]

Diplomats met behind closed doors in Paris on Wednesday to consider measures to help Lebanon as it grapples with ongoing political turmoil and its worst economic crisis in decades. The international group, co-chaired by France and the United Nations, is weighing conditions for providing financial aid to Lebanon. Lebanese businesses and households are growing increasingly […]