The U.S. State Department has notified Congress that it plans to close five foreign missions in a rare downsizing of America’s global diplomatic footprint, according to people familiar with the notice. In the notice sent to some congressional committees late last week, the State Department said it planned to close its posts in St. George’s, Grenada; Nagoya, Japan; Medan, Indonesia; Douala, Cameroon; and Winnipeg, Canada. The people familiar with the notice spoke on the condition of anonymity because the notice was not public. The expected closures, which have not been previously reported, represent a rare example of the U.S. closing multiple foreign missions in a downsizing that is not tied to a particular geopolitical event. Early last year, during ...

Thailand and Cambodia agreed on Saturday to halt weeks of fierce border clashes, the worst fighting in years between the Southeast Asian countries that has included fighter-jet sorties, exchange of rocket fire and artillery barrages. “Both sides agree to maintain current troop deployments without further movement,” their defense ministers said in a joint statement on the ceasefire, to take effect at noon local time (midnight, ET). “Any reinforcement would heighten tensions and negatively affect long-term efforts to resolve the situation,” according to the statement released on social media by Cambodia’s Defense Ministry. The agreement, signed by Thai Defense Minister Natthaphon Narkphanit and his Cambodian counterpart Tea Seiha, ended 20 days of ...

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has called for changes in the U.N. Security Council to give Africa a bigger role in global decisions. CAIRO -- Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Saturday reiterated calls for structural changes in the U.N Security Council to grant Africa a larger role in shaping global decisions. El-Sissi made the plea for a “more pluralistic” world order at a conference of the Russia-Africa partnership held in Cairo, which was attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and ministers from more than 50 African countries along with representatives from several African and regional organizations. “The voice of Africa should be present and influential in making global decisions given the continent’s human, ...