As Ethiopia this month marked the first anniversary of the start of its latest civil war, the UN warned of dire political and humanitarian consequences. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said “the stability of Ethiopia and the wider region is at risk.”

The bold and public claims by Daesh-Khorasan that it was responsible for the recent terror attacks against minorities in Afghanistan raise serious questions about the Taliban’s ability to combat the terrorist group and the need for a global effort to counter its threat.

The European Council on Foreign Relations last week organized its annual Middle East and North Africa Forum. Held this year in Rome, the gathering focused on threats to regional security, shifting geopolitics and new openings for diplomacy.

In his speech before the UN General Assembly last month, King Salman laid down Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy principles and expressed some hope about the ongoing Saudi-Iran talks, the latest of which took place on Sept. 21, the day before the king’s speech.