The United States sent its top Asian diplomacy and security officials to South Korea and Japan to calm tensions between two U.S. allies whose squabbling has frustrated efforts to deal with a troublesome North Korea and an increasingly assertive China.

• January 15, 2013

Iran is working with southern secessionists in Yemen to expand its influence and destabilize the strategic region around the Straits of Hormuz, the U.S. envoy to Yemen was quoted as saying, Reuters reported.

• January 14, 2013

Iran, Iraq, and Syria have signed an agreement to expand cooperation through boosting transit of goods through joint borders, the Fars News Agency quoted Iranian Deputy Roads and Urban Development Minister Shahryar Afandizadeh as saying.

• January 14, 2013

Reclusive Turkmenistan will launch a privatisation of state-held assets in its tightly regulated economy in coming months but looks set to keep control of the vital oil and gas industry, officials said on Saturday

• January 12, 2013

Tension continued to simmer and prevail along the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan. The military activity has been increased mainly in Kashmir and Jammu, APA reports citing RIA Novosti.

• January 12, 2013

Japan is planning to increase its defense budget this year for the first time in 11 years, the Defense Ministry's revised budget request showed on Friday, amid a bitter territorial dispute with China.

• January 11, 2013

Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry has published a commentary on future cooperation with Russia at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Thursday.

• January 10, 2013

Iran today has put forward some preconditions for the future talks regarding country's nuclear program, Mehr agency reported.

• January 9, 2013