Putin, Merkel seek to soothe Germany-Russia tensions
German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday with the two sides seeking to soothe tensions over Berlin's recent criticism of the Russian record on rights.
Kazakhstan and Madagascar Foreign Ministers discussed cooperation in Astana
Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrissov met with his colleague from Madagascar Pierrot Jocelyn Rajaonarivelo in Astana.
Reform hopes seen dashed at Sudan Islamist meet
Calls for change by Arab Spring-inspired reformers in Sudan will likely be ignored when thousands of government-linked Islamists begin meeting on Thursday.
60 countries expected at Tokyo Syria meet
Japan said Friday around 150 delegates from some 60 countries are expected to attend an international conference in Tokyo this month aimed at pressuring the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Hollande warns Iran after meeting Israeli PM
French President Francois Hollande said he wanted "concrete acts" from Iran to prove it was not pursuing a nuclear arms drive after his first face-to-face meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Leonardo DiCaprio urges Antarctic ocean sanctuary
Leonardo DiCaprio urged a high-level Antarctic conservation meeting in Australia Tuesday to approve a sweeping Southern Ocean marine sanctuary to protect thousands of polar species.
As euro-tension eases, EU summit mulls eurozone redesign
EU leaders will go into a brainstorming session Thursday in the first of three summits being held before Christmas in the hope of ending the year with a deal on a stronger economic and monetary union.
Kazakhstan and U.S. sign energy partnership plan
The 9th meeting of the joint Kazakhstan-American Commission for Energy Partnership is held in Washington on October 15-16.
Australia PM makes surprise visit to Afghanistan
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has made a surprise visit to Afghanistan, seeking assurances from President Hamid Karzai that he is doing all he can to halt "insider attacks".
IMF meet in Tokyo to address anxiety about growth
Finding ways to boost the slowing global economy and helping poor nations fend off financial shocks will be on the agenda at meetings this week of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Tokyo.
Japan hosts IMF meet 50 years after economic miracle
The last time Japan hosted an International Monetary Fund summit nearly 50 years ago, the nation was a leader in innovation and economic growth that made it the envy of the world.
World leaders meet on disaster management in Japan
Politicians and aid officials gathered on Tuesday in the northeast of Japan, devastated by last year's quake and tsunami, to discuss what lessons can be learned from disasters.
IMF cuts global forecast, says risks rising
The IMF slashed its global growth forecast and warned things could get much worse if the eurozone crisis is not quelled and Washington fails to reverse the looming "fiscal cliff" austerity plan.
Maliki in Russia for huge arms deal, Syria agreement
Russia eyes a record arms deal and rare agreement over Syria on Tuesday when it hosts Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for the first time in almost four years.
Argentina, Iran meet over Jewish center bombing
The foreign ministers of Argentina and Iran met at the United Nations on Thursday to discuss the deadly 1994 attack on a Jewish center in Buenos Aires.
US urges 'cooler heads' to preserve Asia's stability
The US on Thursday called for cooler heads to prevail amid regional tensions over disputed island chains, saying it was vital for the world economy to preserve stability in Asia.
Ahmadinejad slams West's 'nuclear intimidation'
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the West and Israel of nuclear "intimidation" on Wednesday, after US President Barack Obama vowed to halt Tehran's alleged weapons program.
French leader urges UN to back African force for Mali
French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday urged the global community to help defuse a crisis in Mali by giving UN backing to a West African-led military intervention.
West turns up heat on Iran and Syria at UN
Western and Arab leaders ramped up the pressure on Syria and Iran at the United Nations on Tuesday, as US President Barack Obama vowed to keep Tehran from getting its hands on nuclear weapons.
Muslim leaders challenge Obama defense on anti-Islam film
Muslim leaders demanded international action to stop religious insults in a challenge to US President Barack Obama's defense of freedom of expression at the UN General Assembly.
