The United States Saturday urged Belarus to release its political detainees including the parents of a three-year-old boy who had been threatened with the loss of custody.

• January 24, 2011

Negotiations in Istanbul over Iran’s nuclear program broke up on Saturday with no agreement between Tehran and the UN Security Council permanent members—the US, China, Russia, Britain and France—plus Germany (P5+1). Such was the gulf between the parties that no further meeting was scheduled

• January 24, 2011

Recent reports in the Russian news media have detailed plans by the U.S. to provide the Mikheil Saakashvili government in Georgia with tens of millions of dollars worth of anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons.

• January 15, 2011

By quietly building up its stash of high-tech weaponry, China is threatening US military supremacy in the Pacific, worrying its neighbours and contributing to a renewed arms race in Asia, analysts say.

• January 15, 2011

South Korea and Japan have held their first talks on creating unprecedented agreements to share military intelligence and equipment. It is something the United States has encouraged because of recent attacks blamed on North Korea and Pyongyang’s continuing nuclear threat. But both Seoul and Tokyo may find it necessary to move cautiously because of historical legacies and concern about how Beijing will react.

• January 14, 2011

Iran’s proposal for a diplomatic tour of its nuclear sites floundered on Thursday after China effectively rejected the invitation and Russia said such a trip could never replace United Nations inspections or negotiations with world powers.

• January 14, 2011

China effectively rejected Iran's invite to tour Tehran's nuclear facilities on Thursday, potentially smoothing a source of friction ahead of President Hu Jintao's state visit to the United States next week.

• January 13, 2011

With the test of a stealth fighter jet Tuesday, just hours before U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates met with Chinese President Hu Jintao, the Chinese military provided a blunt demonstration of its willingness to challenge both the United States and its own president.

• January 12, 2011