French Parties Seek to Capitalize on Hollande’s Troubles as Presidential Election Nears

With more than 3.2 million ballots counted in France’s November 20 presidential primary, former president Nicolas Sarkozy accepted defeat. He acknowledged that he did not win over the majority of voters and respects the outcome of the elections, he said in a speech at his campaign headquarters in Paris.

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UN Security Council Visits South Sudan After Approval of Regional Protection Force

Although the Security Council delegation’s arrival offered a glimmer of hope for a struggling nation in its infancy, its departure has led to increased government intimidation among civil society groups, with some even fleeing the country.

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Armenia, Azerbaijan Tensions Flare Again Since 1994 Truce

The two former Soviet republics are trapped in a decade’s long squabble over the contested Armenian, mountainous region that was formerly a part of the Azerbaijani SSR. With independence being declared in 1991 and a three year war following it, Russia stepped in and was able to broker a truce between the two countries.

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