Russia and Egypt reportedly signed a $2 billion defense contract in late 2018 that includes the sale of 20 Su-35 fighter aircraft with an expected delivery as early as 2021, The Moscow Times reported March 18.
The far-right Jewish Power party has issued new demands to its allies in the Jewish Home party for potential chairmanships in the forthcoming Knesset after Israel's Supreme Court voted to bar the former's leader, Michael Ben Ari, from running in upcoming elections, The Times of Israel reported March 18.
The Maldivian government has underscored its "India-first" policy during a visit by Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, according to a joint statement on March 18.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited Crimea to mark the five-year anniversary of the peninsula's annexation, Reuters reported March 18.
South African power utility Eskom was forced to continue rolling blackouts on March 18 after a cyclone damaged electricity pylons in Mozambique, which has siphoned an additional 1,000 megawatts from South Africa's electricity grid, Reuters reported.
The speaker of the British House of Commons, John Bercow, has said the British government cannot resubmit a Brexit proposal for a parliamentary vote that is the same or similar to the version that Parliament defeated last week, The Independent reported March 18.
Six Algerian labor unions have declined an invitation to meet with new Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui to discuss their concerns and demands, TSA Algerie reported March 17.
Brussels will use an EU-China summit on April 9 to push for an agreement with Beijing to open up the latter's economy, Voice of America reported March 18.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has arrived in China for a three-day visit to participate in the first Pakistan-China Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue, during which he is expected to discuss a number of bilateral issues, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Dawn reported March 17.
Turkmen armed forces have forced back roughly 100 Afghan troops that fled into the country to escape an ongoing Tailban offensive in the neighboring Afghan province of Badghis, The New York Times reported March 17.
