We should demystify democracy. Democracy is not a western plot, it is a universal value. Virtually all countries have aspects of democratic culture in place to some degree, and absolutely every country has room to strengthen the quality of their democracy.

The United States says it is suspending some security assistance programs to Burundi because of abuses committed by police during political protests and the government's decision to proceed with what the U.S. says were "flawed" parliamentary elections.

Libyan National Oil Co. officials have launched a charm offensive to reassure foreign companies that are increasingly nervous over the use of oil payments and security arrangements in the war-torn country.

For proponents of targeted, or “smart,” sanctions, it was unquestionable proof of such punitive financial measures’ effectiveness as a foreign policy tool. They may be right. The unprecedented regime of UN, regional, and national sanctions leveled against Tehran was instrumental in slowing its progress toward nuclear weapons capability and bringing Iran’s leaders to the negotiating table.

The Sudanese Council for International People's Friendship (CIPF), Monday evening organised a celebration at the Oil Club to honour the visit of the Ethiopian public diplomacy delegation. The delegation is currently in the country led by the speaker of the Ethiopian parliament, Abadula Gemeda.The chairman of the agriculture committee of the national assembly, Habeb Makhatoum, the representative of the assembly's speaker, Dr. Al-Fatih Izz Eddin Mannsour, asserted during his address to the celebration the eternal and historical relations between the two countries.

Two weeks after recalling the ambassador from Jakarta in protest at the executions of two Australian drug traffickers, the government announced Tuesday it plans to cut Indonesian aid by 40 percent from 543 million Australian dollars ($428 million) to AU$323 million. Australia wants to cut its aid budget to AU$4.1 billion next year.