Global military spending rose in 2015 to nearly €1.5trn, the first increase in several years, driven by conflicts including the battle against Islamic State (IS), the Saudi-led war in Yemen, and fears about Iran.

Iran’s president has said that Saudi Arabia cannot “cover up” its crime of executing a leading Shi’ite cleric by severing diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic.

At almost any other time, an escalating diplomatic conflict between Opec members Iran and Saudi Arabia would mean a spike in oil prices.

JUST as our friends and neighbours in the North can only look on in despair — or even indifference — as Stormont politicians of all hues talk themselves into another frenzy of no-surrender obstructionism, the citizens of Europe, most of whom want a humane response to the growing refugee crisis, can only look on in frustration fast turning to shame as national ministers struggle to agree on how each EU member state might contribute proportionately to a community-wide response.

Radamel Falcao says he will return to Manchester United with renewed confidence after moving another step closer to becoming Colombia’s all-time record goalscorer.

Tim Cahill is currently playing for Australia in the Asia Cup and produced this superb kick while warming up before a match.

Kuwait police fired tear gas and stun grenades in a busy historic market to disperse several thousand protesters calling for the release of an opposition activist and a purge of corrupt judges.

Egypt’s Central Bank paid back US$2bn (€1.5bn) in aid to Qatar despite its faltering economy and refused a request by Qatari airlines to increase flights, authorities said today, marking a new low in relations between the two countries.

Negotiations between the United States and Russia on securing Syria’s chemical weapons have reached a critical turning point after two days of intense diplomacy.

The vote to elect the most powerful man in world sport takes place tomorrow after a campaign that has descended into controversy and acrimony.

Egypt’s prosecutor ordered the arrest yesterday of the leaders of ousted president Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, charging them with inciting violence in a clash that saw troops shoot 55 Mursi supporters dead.

A Kuwaiti court sentenced a female teacher to 11 years in jail for insulting the emir, inciting regime change, and insulting a religious sect via Twitter, two sources close to the case said.

Kuwait’s ruler has said parliamentary elections will be held on December 1 in a bid to ease months of deepening political turmoil that has pit the pro-Western ruling family against opposition forces led by Islamists.

Syria’s foreign ministry has denied government troops were behind an attack on a string of villages that left more than 90 people dead.

Opposition politicians warned of a growing political crisis after dozens of anti-government protesters muscled their way into Kuwait's parliament during debate over efforts to question the prime minister about corruption allegations.

FRANK RIJKAARD was yesterday confirmed as the new coach of Saudi Arabia, signing a three-year deal.

The revolution on the Nile raises serious questions about the stability of other Arab regimes, reports Brian Murphy from Dubai

ASTON VILLA’S young defender Shane Lowry has apologised to Ireland for switching his allegiance to his country of birth, Australia.

IRAN tested more missiles in the Gulf yesterday as the United States reminded Tehran that it was ready to defend its allies.

Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou both scored as Ivory Coast defeated Kuwait 2-0 in a friendly on Saturday.

THE recent hydrocarbon law, approved after much wrangling by Iraq’s Council of Ministers, deserves a great deal more praise than it has received.

Kuwait’s emir told the US secretary of state that Washington should talk to Syria and Iran to improve the situation in Iraq, the Kuwaiti foreign minister said today.

Support for Saddam Hussein across the Arab world has grown since his execution, galvanising anger against Iraq’s Shiite-led government, which the United States has hoped the region would support.

Kuwait’s parliament today voted to severe diplomatic ties with Denmark over the controversial Prophet Mohammed’s cartoons and to spend about €37m to defend the prophet’s image in the West.

OIL rose above $63 yesterday on concerns that export cartel OPEC would cut output to halt a 20% slide in prices over the past two months.

HARRY KEWELL has been ruled out of the start of Liverpool’s Premiership season with the injury that wrecked his World Cup campaign with Australia.

Harry Kewell has been ruled out of the start of Liverpool’s Barclays Premiership season with the injury that wrecked his World Cup campaign wth Australia.

Kuwait’s first parliamentary elections to see women participate were a victory for political reformists, but a disappointment for female candidates, none of whom won a seat.

One man’s sound reasoning is another’s rant. Here Colm O’Connor remembers those men who lost their rag so memorably at the World Cup.

The former Iranian president said today that talk of US contingency planning for a military attack on Iran was overblown because such a move would be too dangerous.

Kuwait today announced it had discovered natural gas for the first time, in commercial quantities, as well as a new light oil.

Kuwait’s Cabinet resigned as expected today, one day after the new emir, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, was sworn in as the leader of this oil-rich US ally.

Kuwait’s state-supported supermarkets today announced a boycott of Danish products, and the Foreign Ministry called in a regional Danish ambassador to protest at caricatures in a Danish newspaper that have been deemed insulting to Islam’s prophet.

The unprecedented shake-up in Kuwait’s ruling family should not effect the tiny, oil-rich country’s close ties to Washington, but analysts said tonight there could be significant changes in Kuwait, such as the imposition of taxes.

Kuwaitis waited today for the expected abdication of their ailing emir, Sheikh Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah, a move that has been sought for days to resolve the country’s unprecedented leadership crisis.

OPEC producer Kuwait will adhere to its oil policy aimed at keeping global markets well-supplied following the death of the Gulf Arab state’s Emir Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, Kuwaiti oil officials said yesterday.

The emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah, who was forced into months of exile by Iraqi forces overrunning his oil-rich Gulf state in 1990 and then supported the US in invading Iraq more than a decade later, died today.

London stocks ended the week in lacklustre form today after a major share sale sent oil heavyweight BP lower.

The government of Kuwait today cashed in on the rapid rise in the value of BP this year by selling £1.2bn (€1.78bn) of the oil giant’s shares.

Donations to Hurricane Katrina relief poured in from around the world, with Kuwait offering $500m (€397.4m) and other Mideast countries offering aid and condolences despite widespread opposition to US policies in the area.

Peter Williamson

Following a series of incidents along the Kuwaiti border, Iraqi legislators today accused Kuwait of stealing their oil as well as chipping away some of their national territory.

Manchester United have agreed a fee of around €6m with PSV Eindhoven for Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung, according to the player’s agent.