An Airbus A320-200 operated by Air Malta was forced to abruptly turn back mid-flight after a serious crew oversight was discovered shortly after reaching cruising altitude.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Saturday that a drone had hit an oil tanker in the Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz, after the vessel disregarded warnings from the IRGC Navy.

The European Union has yet to finalize its 20th sanctions package against Russia, as envoys failed to reach a consensus on proposed measures, diplomats said on February 20. The new package could include a broad maritime services ban targeting Russian crude oil exports.

At an international conference in New York, Belgium, Malta, Andorra, Monaco and Luxembourg formally announced their recognition of the State of Palestine, joining an expanding group of countries extending diplomatic recognition.

A civilian ship carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza was targeted in a drone attack early Friday while sailing in international waters near the island of Malta, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a statement.

Malta has proposed itself as a mediator for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, with Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg announcing the offer on Saturday following a dramatic public dispute between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Friday calling for the protection of children in situations of armed conflict, News.az reports citing foreign media.

Former Turkish Foreign Minister and ex-Permanent Representative of Turkey to the UN, Feridun Sinirlioglu, has been appointed the new OSCE Secretary General, announced Malta's Foreign Minister Ian Borg, the organization’s Chairman-in-Office, News.az reports citing TASS.

As part of his working visit to Valetta, Malta, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov attended the 3rd European Conference on Azerbaijani Studies.

The 31st Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) begins today in Malta, News.az reports citing foreign media.