Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Thursday (14 January) met in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Whilst the two sides emphasised positive trends in their bilateral relations, it was also obvious that there were important differences, not least on Iran.

NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, said on Thursday that NATO is ready to contribute to security building in Libya once conditions allow. On the diplomatic level, UN Secretary-General is reportedly planning to appoint veteran diplomat Jan Kubis as his envoy in Libya nearly a year after the last mediator stepped down. 

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland’s Lausanne upheld on December 17 WADA’s previous ruling on a number of sanctions against Russian sports. According to the CAS ruling, Russian athletes were deprived of their right to participate in all World Championships, Olympic and Paralympic Games under the national flag of Russia for the two-year period.

“By holding each other accountable, we make sure that our commitments remain relevant. By honouring our commitments, we make sure that our region is safe. This is where the unique value of our organisation lies”, the Chairperson-in-Office emphasised.

For the first time in the modern time of the Sultanate, Haitham bin Tariq, the Sultan of Oman, introduced amendments on the transfer of power, naming the Sultanate’s first Crown Prince. The new decree came at the first anniversary of Sultan Haitham’s rule. Dhi Yazan bin Haitham bin Tariq, son of the current Sultan, is the first crown prince of the Sultanate of Oman.

Peace in the Caucasus for the last three decades has been elusive, and appears to remain so. Lulls between fighting sometimes offer some respite from the violence, but real peace remains absent. It is now needed more than ever, but the "Pax Putin" is not the solution, argues Dennis Sammut in this op-ed

Speaking at the 13th European Space Conference, EU High Representative Josep Borrell highlighted the defence, security and economic benefits of a strong European space programme.

Kuwait’s Cabinet submitted its resignation on Tuesday after tensions with the Parliament. The move, while not a surprise after some 30 lawmakers backed a no-confidence motion against the government this month, reveals how the country is reacting to diminished public confidence and the worst economic crisis in decades.