A giant monument to friendship between historic enemies Turkey and Armenia has become a symbol of controvery rather than healing.

• January 10, 2011

The European Union is preparing to restore a travel ban against Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko following a post-election crackdown on political opponents

• January 8, 2011

The European Union has turned down an offer from Iran to tour its nuclear facilities, EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said on Friday, but remains optimistic about talks with Tehran later this month. Iran has sent letters to a number of ambassadors to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, inviting them to visit two sites - the Natanz uranium enrichment plant and the Arak heavy water complex - in the coming weeks.

• January 8, 2011

U.S. laws limit the burning of coal here, and Washington state has a strong green influence. Passenger rail in Seattle and beyond would suffer consequences from shipments to Bellingham. But the financial firepower lined up in favor of shipping coal from Washington ports to China is gigantic.

• January 8, 2011

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has rejected the idea of scrapping the next two elections and extending his term until 2020.

• January 7, 2011

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has met with human rights activists from Belarus to discuss the recent Belarusian presidential election, which has been condemned by the U.S. and European nations, and the Belarusian regime's crackdown on activists and opposition political leaders.

• January 7, 2011

Steve Coll, the president of the New America Foundation and a South Asia expert, has raised the issue of the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons in the wake of the assassination of the governor of most populous Punjab state by one of his bodyguards. It’s a question that comes up each time Pakistan is faced with a crisis whether it a major act of violence such as this or a political/economic meltdown or a sudden escalation of tensions with India obviously, but also the United States.

• January 7, 2011

One of the leading experts in the nuclear industry, Magnus von Bonsdorff, warns for the safety of Swedish nuclear power.

• January 6, 2011