Up to a dozen militants have staged a daring attack on the capital of a southern Russian republic popular with downhill skiers and budget tourists

• February 28, 2011

The Iranian potatoes, oranges and raisins on sale in the bazaars of Astara are not the only signs of the Islamic republic's influence in this Azerbaijani border town.

• February 28, 2011

Lithuania is in talks with Japan about cooperation on nuclear energy after Korea Electric Power Corp. withdrew a bid to build an atomic facility in 2010.

• February 28, 2011

First, Germany announced that it would suspend its draft, ending one of the touchstones of its post-World War II society. Then Britain and France, frequent rivals since at least the Norman Conquest, announced plans to share military equipment and research. And smaller countries across Europe are cutting defense budgets and shrinking militaries that were never large to begin with.

• February 26, 2011

Russia's parliament approved a deal with the United States on Friday to allow transit for military equipment and personnel across Russia to the NATO force in Afghanistan, easing reliance on Pakistan as a transit route.

• February 26, 2011

James Appathurai, special representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia of NATO, will discuss the regional problems, as well as the frozen conflicts with US officials next week, APA’s US correspondent reports.

• February 26, 2011

Bangladesh has signed here a "primary deal" with Russia for installing a 2,000 MW nuclear power plant, which would be its first.

• February 25, 2011

Last week Kamitsuki Toyohisa, the Japanese Foreign Ministry counselor for European Affairs, said that the relationship between his country and Russia is "at its worst point in decades."

• February 25, 2011