Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Tuesday warned Russia to guard its economic independence by cutting its budget deficit, cautioning that while its recession had ended, the crisis had not.

• April 21, 2010

Greece begins talks with the European Commission and International Monetary Fund over emergency bail-out aid.

• April 21, 2010

A few flights take off in northern Europe, but the UK warns a new volcanic ash cloud may be spreading from Iceland.

• April 21, 2010

Anyone who remembers the Vietnam War might be having hot flashes of déjà vu today. We are again engaged in a grand campaign to "win the hearts and minds" of an implacable foe in a place where we do not understand the language, the religion, the culture, or the opportunity costs

• April 20, 2010

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich was to meet Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday for talks which Kiev hopes will lead to Russia cutting the price of natural gas supplies.

• April 20, 2010

Russia emerged from a decade of post-Soviet economic and political turmoil to reassert itself as a world power.

• April 20, 2010

Winter Olympics, to be staged in the mountain range where the militants have their strongholds. Soon after the Black Sea resort town of Sochi won in its bid to host the games, insurgents vowed in a statement to "attack any of the so-called 'Olympic

• April 20, 2010

Germany's aviation authority has announced that the country's airspace will remain closed until at least 2 a.m. local time on Tuesday. However, EU transport ministers are to discuss the possible reopening of airspace.

• April 19, 2010