Bloomberg Sudan’s military said it rejected any use of violence to quell the protests against embattled President Omar al-Bashir, as security forces tried to storm an anti-government demonstration in the capital. As four months of anti-government unrest intensified, the military said that protesters could only be dispersed through peaceful means, al-Hadath, a pan-Arab satellite channel, reported. The military also reaffirmed ...

Bloomberg Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov defended his country’s military buildup in the Arctic amid US warnings of rising tensions in the remote and energy-rich region. “We don’t threaten anyone. We ensure sufficient defense capabilities given the political and military situation around our borders,” Lavrov said during a panel at the International Arctic Forum in St. Petersburg. “We will always ...

Bloomberg Kazakhstan’s new president called snap presidential elections less than a month after he replaced leader-for-life Nursultan Nazarbayev in a carefully-choreographed transfer of power. “I’ve taken the decision to call early presidential elections” on June 9 after consultations with Nazarbayev, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in a televised address to the nation. While the handover of power took place in a calm ...