A former top diplomat vying to become the next prime minister proposed Saturday that Japan stop building new nuclear power plants after the Fukushima disaster and phase out atomic energy over 40 years.

• August 27, 2011

China is increasingly focused on naval power and has invested in hi-tech weaponry that will extend its reach in the Pacific and beyond, the Pentagon said.

• August 25, 2011

For companies who buy electricity from the open market fixing prices is of no use either since new year’s price negotiations are based on the average price of the previous year.

• August 23, 2011

Russia pitched Wednesday a proposal to Iran's foreign minister which it hopes could bring a breakthrough in a confrontation over Tehran's nuclear program, despite doubts in the West that the plan can make much headway.

• August 18, 2011

Russian company Atomstroyexport, the contractor on Bulgaria's nuclear power project at Belene, is yet to say whether it has dropped its 58 million euro suit against electricity utility NEK, filed in July in the International Court of Arbitration in Paris.

• August 18, 2011

Russia and Iran on Wednesday said a new Russian plan had a real chance of solving the standoff over the Iranian nuclear drive, despite the failure of past initiatives to end a decade of deadlock.

• August 17, 2011

Iran welcomes Russia's latest proposals for restarting the dialogue on Tehran's atom program, top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said Tuesday after meeting with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev, the state television's website reported.

• August 16, 2011

A meeting was held with a delegation from the Afghani Ministry of Mines at the Turkmen Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, the "Neutral Turkmenistan" newspaper said.

• August 16, 2011