China has set new targets for its provinces to reduce air pollution by 5 to 25 percent, state media said late on Tuesday, underscoring the government's concern about a source of public anger.

• January 9, 2014

Japan is set to clarify the ownership of 280 remote islands in its territorial waters and register them as national assets, a move that could rile China and South Korea, which are engaged in territorial disputes with Tokyo.

• January 9, 2014

China took its propaganda war with Japan to the United Nations on Wednesday, questioning Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's motives for visiting a controversial war shrine and calling on him to correct his "erroneous outlook" on history.

• January 8, 2014

Euro zone retail sales leapt in November even though unemployment remained at a record high, hinting at a pick up in consumer demand that would ease deflation worries and relieve pressure on the ECB to loosen policy.

• January 8, 2014

China will unify the way it calculates provincial economic output to help close a gap with national figures, the country's chief statistician said on Tuesday, amid skepticism about the reliability of Chinese data.

• January 8, 2014

The Dutch foreign minister signed an agreement on Tuesday with his Cuban counterpart to engage in political consultations, breaking ranks with the European Union which limits high-level visits and talks with the Communist-run Caribbean island.

• January 8, 2014

Iran and the European Union will hold a two-day meeting in Geneva on Thursday to discuss implementing a landmark nuclear deal between the Islamic state and major powers, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported on Tuesday.

• January 8, 2014

A Snapshot of Key Developments in the External Relations of the Russian Gas Sector
By Jack Sharples, EGF Associate Researcher on the external dimensions of Russian gas and Lecturer in Energy Politics at the European University of St Petersburg

Key points:

• Gazprom prepares to settle in EU Antitrust investigation
• Gazprom finalises asset-swap with BASF Wintershall, with deal approved by EU competition watchdog
• Russia offers Ukraine 33 percent discount on gas price as part of package designed to keep Ukraine in Russia’s political orbit
• Nord Stream: EU and Gazprom to agree terms for use of OPAL pipeline in early 2014
• South Stream faces legal hurdles as European Commission claims aspects of South Stream’s intergovernmental agreements are in breach of EU law
• Gazprom fails to conclude deal with CNPC before year end
• Gazprom opens representative office in Brussels

• January 8, 2014