King Salman, Russian Premier Hold Talks

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and President of Russia Hold Session of Official Talks (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and President of Russia Hold Session of Official Talks (SPA)
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King Salman, Russian Premier Hold Talks

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and President of Russia Hold Session of Official Talks (SPA)
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and President of Russia Hold Session of Official Talks (SPA)

Moscow- The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz held talks on Thursday with the Russian Premier Dmitry Medvedev, said the Saudi state-owned news agency (SPA).

Immediately after the arrival of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the venue, he was received by the Russian premier and then, they took memorial pictures.

During the talks, the premier expressed happiness with the historic visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to Russia, stressing his country's keenness to promote and develop joint cooperation between the two countries and push them to a wider perspective, as the Kingdom has the potential to be an important partner of Russia, in various fields.

He praised the constructive discussions that took place between the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Russian President on Thursday and its great role in promoting and developing cooperation between the two countries, across all fields.

"We would like to pay tribute to the fruitful discussions with President Vladimir Putin, in which it was agreed to strengthen cooperation between our two countries, in various fields," said King Salman in his speech.

"We have stressed the need to end the suffering of the Palestinian people and to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for the Palestinian cause."

"We also stressed that the achievement of peace and stability in the Gulf region and the Middle East and the crises in Yemen, Syria and others requires Iran to stop its expansionist policies and abide by the principles of good neighborliness, respect for international norms and laws and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries."

"Saudi Arabia is living a historic and pivotal stage of comprehensive development and this phase has been translated into Vision 2030," King Salman added.

"We look forward to the participation of your friendly country in cooperating to implement the programs of this vision in the interest of our common interests."

"The efforts of our two countries in the field of oil have resulted in a reduction of production agreement, balancing the interests of consumers and producers and we confirm our concern for the stability of the global oil market."

"In conclusion, we appreciate the warm welcome and good reception of the Russian President, your country and the friendly Russian people and We wish you continued success and prosperity and the Russian people to be more prosperous."

Later on, the two sides reviewed bilateral relations, means of strengthening and developing them and prospects for cooperation between the two friendly countries.

The meeting was attended by the Saudi top level accompanying delegation and senior Russian officials.



Rubio Says US Sanctioning ICC Judges for Targeting Israel

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to traveling journalists at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in Hamilton, Ontario, on November 12, 2025 after the G7 foreign ministers meeting. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / POOL / AFP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to traveling journalists at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in Hamilton, Ontario, on November 12, 2025 after the G7 foreign ministers meeting. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / POOL / AFP)
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Rubio Says US Sanctioning ICC Judges for Targeting Israel

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to traveling journalists at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in Hamilton, Ontario, on November 12, 2025 after the G7 foreign ministers meeting. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / POOL / AFP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to traveling journalists at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in Hamilton, Ontario, on November 12, 2025 after the G7 foreign ministers meeting. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / POOL / AFP)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that the US was sanctioning two judges of the International Criminal Court for targeting Israel.

"Today, I am designating two International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia, pursuant to Executive Order 14203," Rubio said in a statement, referring to the order President Donald Trump signed in February sanctioning the ICC, Reuters reported.

"These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel's consent," he said.

The United States and Israel are not members of the ICC.

The US sanctions in February include freezing any US assets of those designated and barring them and their families from visiting the United States.


US Imposes Sanctions on Vessels Linked to Iran, Treasury Website Says

A crew member raises the Iranian flag on Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1, previously named Grace 1, as it sits anchored after the Supreme Court of the British territory lifted its detention order, in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain, August 18, 2019. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
A crew member raises the Iranian flag on Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1, previously named Grace 1, as it sits anchored after the Supreme Court of the British territory lifted its detention order, in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain, August 18, 2019. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
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US Imposes Sanctions on Vessels Linked to Iran, Treasury Website Says

A crew member raises the Iranian flag on Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1, previously named Grace 1, as it sits anchored after the Supreme Court of the British territory lifted its detention order, in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain, August 18, 2019. REUTERS/Jon Nazca
A crew member raises the Iranian flag on Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya 1, previously named Grace 1, as it sits anchored after the Supreme Court of the British territory lifted its detention order, in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain, August 18, 2019. REUTERS/Jon Nazca

The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday on 29 vessels and their management firms, the Treasury Department said, as Washington continues targeting Tehran's "shadow fleet" it says exports Iranian petroleum and petroleum products, Reuters reported.

The targeted vessels and companies have transported hundreds of millions of dollars of the products through deceptive shipping practices, Treasury said.

Thursday's action also targets businessman Hatem Elsaid Farid Ibrahim Sakr, whose companies are associated with seven of the vessels cited, as well as multiple shipping companies.


Zelenskiy Says Ukraine Faces Foreign Aid Shortfall of up to 50 billion Euros Next Year

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. File Photo/The AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. File Photo/The AP
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Zelenskiy Says Ukraine Faces Foreign Aid Shortfall of up to 50 billion Euros Next Year

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. File Photo/The AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. File Photo/The AP

Ukraine is facing a foreign aid shortfall of 45-50 billion euros ($53-59 billion) in 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday, Reuters reported.

He added that if Kyiv did not receive a first tranche of a loan secured by Russian assets by next spring, it would have to significantly cut drone production.

Speaking in Brussels as EU leaders were set to take a decision on Moscow's seized sovereign wealth, Zelenskiy said this would mean that Ukraine would have far fewer drones than Russia, and would not be able to conduct long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities.