Syrian deputy FM Muqdad begins talks in Russia
A Syrian government delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad on Thursday began talks at the Russian foreign ministry on the crisis in the country.
Israel PM met Jordan king in Amman over Syria: media
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman recently to discuss violence in Syria and the country's chemical weapons stock.
Putin in India with eyes on arms, trade deals
Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in New Delhi on Monday to tighten defence ties and boost trade with India, a traditional ally and one of Russia's top clients for arms sales.
Belize PM says debt deal reached with creditors
Belize has reached a deal in principle with creditors to restructure about half of its unpaid debt after "long and arduous" talks, allowing the country to avoid default.
Cyprus bailout talks won't wrap up this year: IMF
Talks on a bailout for Cyprus are not expected to wrap up this year, the International Monetary Fund said Thursday.
UN to increase contacts with Syrian opposition
The UN humanitarian chief said Monday she has asked the Syrian government for 10 more aid groups to work in the country and will increase contacts with the opposition to help those in need.
Confusion on Internet future after UN treaty split
The freewheeling, unregulated Internet seemed to survive a push for new rules at a UN treaty meeting, but the collapse of talks leaves unanswered questions about the Web's future.
Obama, Boehner meet in fiscal cliff talks
President Barack Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner held surprise talks Thursday, as time ran short for hopes of a pre-Christmas deal to solve a fiscal crisis that could cause a recession.
EU on verge of bridging pre-summit gulf on banks watchdog
European governments argued through the night in a bid to agree a deal on tightening the oversight of eurozone bank, hours before leaders stage on Thursday their final summit of a gruelling third year in debt-crisis mode.
UN atomic team in Iran for nuclear talks
A team from the UN atomic watchdog led by chief inspector Herman Nackaerts arrived early Thursday for talks with nuclear officials on Iran's controversial nuclear programme.
DR Congo rebel peace talks open to rocky start
Congolese rebels and government officials opened tense talks Sunday, with both sides vowing to end a crisis that has led to widespread atrocities and sparked fears of an all-out regional conflict.
Protests turn violent at trade talks in New Zealand
A protest aimed at disrupting Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks in New Zealand turned violent Saturday as demonstrators attacked security forces.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon arrives in Baghdad: TV
UN chief Ban Ki-moon arrived in Baghdad on Thursday for talks with Iraqi leaders, state television said, after a visit to Kuwait in which he called for a new era in relations between the two countries.
Arab world to bear brunt of climate change: World Bank
Global warming will have dire consequences for the Middle East and North Africa, with even hotter and drier conditions devastating everything from agriculture to tourism.
Israel PM heads to Berlin as settlement row grows
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due in Berlin on Wednesday for talks likely to focus on the growing crisis over settlement plans that could torpedo the viability of a Palestinian state.
Colombia gives FARC one year for peace deal
President Juan Manuel Santos on Sunday warned Colombia's Marxist FARC rebels they have less than a year to strike a deal under recently opened peace talks aimed at ending Latin America's longest-running insurgency.
SIA in talks to sell off Virgin Atlantic stake
Singapore Airlines said Monday it was in talks with "interested parties" on a possible sale of its 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic as media reports listed US carrier Delta Air Lines as a possible buyer.
Kyoto under the microscope in quest for new climate deal
As the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol draws to a close, the world will dissect its record for successes to emulate in the fight against global warming -- and pitfalls to avoid.
EU ministers agree significant debt relief deal for Greece
Greece won breathing space Tuesday with long-frozen eurozone loans to restart from December and a first clear admission that a chunk of the country's debt burden will need to be written off down the line.
French right close to collapse after talks fail
France's main right-wing opposition party was close to collapse on Monday after talks failed to resolve a bitter leadership dispute and an ex-prime minister vowed to take the battle to the courts.