Despite seemingly encouraging words about freedom of speech from Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister, Russian opposition activists were again beaten and detained when they tried to hold peaceful protests across the country yesterday.

• June 1, 2010

Turkey has named a foreign policy expert with close knowledge of Iran as its new top spy, as the country linking Europe with the Middle East adapts its security priorities to deal with external threats.

• May 31, 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

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched a stinging attack on Russia Wednesday over its stance on Tehran's atomic drive, accusing it of "siding with those who have been our enemy for 30 years."

• May 27, 2010

China and the United States agreed to work together in order to ensure energy security and stabilise the international energy market.

• May 26, 2010

Energy and security: Russia’s new obsession with the wider Black Sea region Revived by the economic recovery it has witnessed in recent years, and not necessarily weakened by the global financial crisis, Russia is demonstrating itself to be an increasingly assertive (political and economic) force in the wider-Black and Caspian Seas (BCS) basin. Exerting influence in the BCS region is a crucial element in the Russian geopolitical strategy, given the region’s importance both as an energy producer as well as its vitality as a primary corridor for the transit of oil and gas to international markets.

• May 26, 2010

The head of a parliamentary foreign affairs committee was quoted on Friday as saying that sanctions on Iran being discussed by world powers would not stop Russia from delivering S-300 surface to air missiles to Tehran.

• May 24, 2010

NATO and Russia said on Wednesday they intend to boost efforts to develop a joint system to protect their troops from attack by short-range missiles.

• May 21, 2010