After facing weeks of criticism about its reclamation work on disputed islands in the South China Sea, China on Wednesday turned the tables on Vietnam, the Philippines and others by accusing them of carrying out their own illegal building work.

• April 29, 2015

The U.S. Senate rejected an effort on Tuesday to require any nuclear agreement with Iran to be considered an international treaty, which would have forced any deal to be ratified by two-thirds of the Senate's 100 members.

• April 29, 2015

President Barack Obama accused China on Tuesday of "flexing its muscles" to advance its maritime claims against Asian neighbors and assured Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of the U.S. commitment to defend Japanese territory, including tiny islands in dispute with Beijing.

• April 28, 2015

Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics
1 March 2015 – 16 April 2015
By John VanPool, EGF Turkey and Black Sea Regional Analyst

Key Points:

• President Erdogan claims Iran is attempting to divide and conquer the Middle East, but tempers his criticisms following a visit to Tehran.
• Turkish journalist Emre Kizilkaya notes the aftereffects of the Gezi Park protests and their resulting impact on the opposition’s electoral processes.
• A Cold War relic reappears in a terrorist attack by a far left group, though the lack of support for the group’s actions indicate maturing Turkish political attitudes.
• The geostrategic implications of the Turkish Stream Pipeline expand as two EU-member states sign on and Turkish energy importers seek to lower rising Russian gas prices.

• April 28, 2015

President Vladimir Putin accused some of Russia's "quasi-partners" on Monday of counting on the country's collapse by cutting its banks off from the global financial system at a time when oil prices had plunged.

• April 27, 2015

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow's seizure of Crimea righted a historical injustice, according to news agency reports on Sunday citing a new documentary film.

• April 26, 2015

Israel will take part as an observer in a major nuclear non-proliferation conference that opens at the United Nations on Monday, ending a 20-year absence in hope of fostering dialogue with Arab states, a senior Israeli official said.

• April 26, 2015

Russia and France are close to reaching an agreement for Paris to cancel a frozen contract on the sale of Mistral helicopter carriers and reimburse Moscow, a Russian source close to talks indicated on Friday.

• April 24, 2015