U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by telephone Wednesday on Ukraine, stressing they would keep up sanctions on Russia over its role in the crisis.

"There will be no easing of sanctions imposed on Russia until it has fulfilled all of its Minsk commitments," the White House said, referring to a recent deal to defuse tensions in eastern Ukraine.

The United States has temporarily shuttered its embassy in Djibouti to the public to review security due to "ongoing threats," U.S. officials said Wednesday.

The embassy in the Horn of Africa nation will be closed from Thursday, and will reopen for regular business on Sunday.

U.S. lawmakers introduced a resolution Wednesday urging President Barack Obama to recognize mass killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as "genocide," a move sure to anger Turkey ahead of the tragedy's 100th anniversary.

The bipartisan Armenian Genocide Truth and Justice resolution was sponsored by more than 40 members of the House of Representatives.

U.S. warplanes have bombed a small drone used by Islamic State extremists in Iraq, marking the first time American-led forces had targeted an unmanned aircraft flown by the jihadists, officials said Wednesday.

The strike took place on Tuesday near the western city of Fallujah, destroying "a remotely piloted aircraft" and a vehicle with the IS forces, according to a statement from the U.S. military command overseeing the campaign against the group.

A fistfight erupted Wednesday at the ABC mall in Ashrafieh after a number of young Lebanese Armenian men tried to stop the showing of the Turkish film Son Mektup at a Grand Cinemas movie theater.

Despite the objections, the show went on as scheduled, in the presence of the Turkish ambassador, MTV reported.

At least 12 militiamen in Libya were killed Wednesday in clashes with jihadists of the Islamic State group near the central city of Sirte, sources said.

The two sides have been engaged in sporadic fighting since Saturday around the city, home town of slain longtime strongman Moammar Gadhafi, whose regime was toppled in a 2011 NATO-backed revolt.

Pope Francis will address the U.N. General Assembly on September 25, as the international body marks its 70th anniversary, officials said Wednesday.

During his visit, the pope is also due to meet with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Assembly President Sam Kutesa.

Representatives of Syrian President Bashar Assad and opposition figures will meet for peace talks in Moscow on April 6, three months after a meeting ended without concrete results, a Russian foreign ministry spokesman told Agence France-Presse.

The ministry spokesman did not specify which opposition representatives and officials from Assad's government would attend the talks.

Canada's prime minister said Wednesday he will ask parliament next week to extend and broaden a six-month mission fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq due to wrap up next month.

With a Conservative majority in the House, the government's motion is assured to pass.

The EU congratulated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his election victory Wednesday but added it was committed to relaunching the Middle East peace process which he appeared to repudiate during the campaign.

"The EU is committed to working with the incoming Israeli government on a mutually beneficial relationship as well as on the re-launch of the peace process," EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini said in a statement.