The Hague / AFP War crimes prosecutors on Wednesday called for former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba to be sentenced “to at least 25 years” in prison for a slew of rapes and murders in the Central African Republic over a decade ago. Bemba sat stony-faced at the end of three days of hearings at the International Criminal Court …

  RAMSTEIN AIR BASE / AP A series of deadly attacks by IS operatives in and around Baghdad may be a sign that the militants are “reverting to their roots” as a terrorist organization, the top US commander for the Middle East said on Wednesday. Army Gen. Joseph Votel, the head of US Central Command, said this does not mean …

  Jerusalem / AFP Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is close to agreeing a unity government with the main opposition leader, Israeli media said on Wednesday, in a move that could help revive peace talks with the Palestinians. The head of the rightwing Likud has reportedly been engaged in intense negotiations with Labour Party chief Isaac Herzog in recent weeks in …