At first, I was surprised to hear that the Stalinist regime in northern Korea had chosen to sink a democratic Korean corvette. The timing (late March) seemed off. The Tibet occupation commemorations had already passed, while the remembrance of the Tiananmen Massacre was still more than two months away.

• May 29, 2010

China's premier visits South Korea as Seoul urges stronger action by Beijing against North Korea over the sinking of a ship.

• May 28, 2010

For over a week, a Norwegian oil company has been scrambling to stabilize pressure levels in one of its North Sea oil platforms. Norwegian environmental groups say the company has lost control over the situation.

• May 28, 2010

Nervous about being forgotten by the West almost two years after its war with Russia, Georgia is boosting ties with Iran and Turkey to counter Moscow's influence in the Caucasus, analysts say.

• May 28, 2010

Russia's foreign minister on Thursday brushed off Iran's recent criticism as an emotional outburst and expressed frustration with Tehran in the standoff over its nuclear program.

• May 28, 2010

Russia’s banks and the ruble can withstand shocks triggered by the euro area’s sovereign debt crisis, central bank chairman Sergei Ignatiev said.

• May 28, 2010

Events this week confirm that Turkmenistan has taken a decisive strategic decision to diversify its gas exports not only beyond Russia but also beyond China.

• May 28, 2010

President Mikheil Saakashvili on Wednesday oversaw Georgia's first military parade since the 2008 war with Russia and urged the army to stand firm against what he called a continuing threat from "outside forces".

• May 27, 2010