Russia will back US-Iran nuclear talks: FT
Russia will support one-to-one talks between the United States and Iran over Tehran's nuclear programme, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
EU budget talks collapse
The first round in two weeks of tough talks on the European Union budget collapsed Friday after austerity-minded states refused to plug a 2012 budget shortfall in funds destined for Europe's needy.
Poland urges no veto on tricky 2014-2020 EU budget
Poland on Friday urged net beneficiary EU members not to block talks on the contentious 2014-2020 budget proposed by Brussels which the 27-member bloc is expected to focus on at an upcoming summit.
Republicans lay down battle lines over fiscal cliff
Republicans offered newly re-elected President Barack Obama a short-term fix to the fiscal cliff Wednesday, but insisted they would not cave in to tax increases to boost revenues.
Abramovich eyes Australian gas investment - report
Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich jetted into Australia for talks with resource company Linc Energy, renowned for its underground coal gasification (UCG) technology.
Merkel in Britain for tough budget talks with Cameron
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron held talks over the EU's hotly contested budget in London on Wednesday with both agreeing that the bloc needed to heed public opinion.
Mali Islamist group under pressure to break with Al-Qaeda
Burkina Faso led efforts Sunday to persuade one of the armed Islamist groups controlling northern Mali to cut ties with Al-Qaeda as a west African military intervention looms to end the crisis.
Clinton to push Bosnia for reforms at start of Balkans tour
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton begins a five-nation Balkans tour on Tuesday, seeking to push regional leaders to stick to existing agreements and enact the reforms needed to join the EU and NATO.
Hollande discusses debt crisis with top global heads
French President Francois Hollande holds talks on Monday with the heads of the World Bank and other top economic bodies to discuss the eurozone debt crisis and ways to kickstart growth.
Bulgaria plans to acquire new fighter jets in 2014
Bulgaria will seek to acquire eight new or used fighter jets for its air force in 2014, Defence Minister Anyu Angelov said Friday.
US, Iran deny deal for bilateral nuclear talks
Iran and the United States both denied any deal had been reached for one-on-one nuclear talks, as The New York Times reported -- even though the White House said it was open to such a dialogue.
Annan says anti-drug policies have failed
Former UN secretary general Kofi Annan called Thursday for a discussion on decriminalization of drugs, criticizing the crackdown on traffickers in Mexico led by outgoing President Felipe Calderon.
US still undecided on no-fly zone for Syria
The United States is still mulling ways to stop the fighting in Syria, including a no-fly zone, as the Syrian regime is "ratcheting up the brutality of their tactics" .
UN envoy urges Syria truce as conflict enters month 20
International envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has called for a ceasefire in Syria during the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, as the revolt enters its 20th month with a death toll of more than 33,000.
EU to sanction Iran, Syria, help Mali reconquer its north
Europe's foreign ministers will sharply ramp up the pressure on Iran and Syria at talks Monday, while taking a "big step" in Africa by agreeing to assist Mali reconquer its north from rebels and Islamist extremists.
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.
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.
Greek PM stresses urgency of austerity deal
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras stressed the urgency of sealing an austerity pact ahead of crucial talks Monday between Greek officials and the so-called troika of international creditors.
Japan PM to reshuffle cabinet 'to cool China row'
Japan's unpopular prime minister will use a cabinet reshuffle Monday to try to mend fences with China and to boost his flagging popularity ahead of an expected general election.
Israel okays development of Gaza offshore gas field
Israel has held new talks with the Palestinians over the development of a gas field off the coast of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli foreign ministry said in a new report released on Sunday.