The Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov,was shot by a gun while making a speech at a painting exhibition in the Turkish capital, the Russian embassy in Ankara told Hurriyet Daily news, adding that it believed that it was a radical Islamist attack. Private broadcaster CNN Türk said Karlov was in a critical state

The Iranian news agency Mher reported from Tehran that the visit to Armenia was part of a regional tour in the framework of the government's policy "to strengthen ties and deepen cooperation with neighboring and regional countries"

A car bomb exploded next to a bus carrying soldiers near Erciyes University in the central Anatolian city of Kayseri on Saturday morning. First reports say thirteen soldiers have been killed and forty eight wounded

The ritual of the annual ministerial meeting of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has just taken place in Hamburg. There is broad agreement that something in the organisation needs to change, but very little agreement as to how and what. This commentary by the editorial team of Caucasus Concise highlights the need of more outside focus on the work of the organisation

At a briefing in Brussels on Wednesday (14 December), both sides expressed satisfaction at progress in the negotiations, but hinted that they were in uncharted waters. As one EU official put it, "Russia remains the elephant in the room"

Welcoming Israeli prime minister Netanyahu to Baku, President Aliev hailed Azerbaijan's co-operation with Israel, particularly in the military sphere, and declared it to be very satisfactory

The Israeli prime minister said at Ben Gurion airport before leaving for a trip to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan that this was a trip to two important muslim countries, and that it represented both "continuity and breakthrough"

In her opening remarks the co-Chair of Euronest, MEP Heidi Hautala pointed out that in five out of the six Eastern Partnership countries there were unresolved conflicts that were taking a toll on the countries and their people. MPs from Armenia and Azerbaijan participated in the part of the discussion which covered the Karabakh conflict.

Turkey mourns the death of more than 38 people in a dual bomb attack in central Istanbul. More than 136 people were also injured. Flags flew at half mast on buildings all over the republic.

At the OSCE Ministerial Meeting in Hamburg, Armenia and Azerbaijan urged to move forward with peace negotiations on the Karabakh conflict