North Korea's plans for a new nuclear test, like most things that happen inside the reclusive state, are shrouded in mystery. But that's not stopping analysts and officials from making some informed guesses about what's going on.

• February 5, 2013

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara has said that the signing of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union this year is quite realistic.

• February 4, 2013

Azerbaijani Minister of Culture and Tourism Ebulfaz Garayev met with Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization Taleb Rifai.

• February 4, 2013

Iran has announced it will hold talks with world powers over its nuclear programme, in the first sign of diplomatic movement since last year to try to settle the international impasse

• February 4, 2013

If Moscow goes to the Stockholm court to settle its $7-billion claim to Ukraine for the gas Kyiv failed to buy under the existing contract, Ukraine may set up a counter-claim for the gas Moscow failed to pump via Ukraine, Mykhailo Honchar, energy expert , and Maksim Alinov, legal expert

• February 2, 2013

Turkmen Balkan freighter with capacity of 3.500 tons renovated in the Volga-Caspian shipyard in Astrakhan was returned to Turkmenbashi port, Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper said.

• February 2, 2013

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held his first direct talks with Syria's opposition leader in Germany on Saturday, amid a renewed global push to iron out sharp differences over how to end the conflict in Syria.

• February 2, 2013

Russian-Armenian negotiations on the new price of natural gas delivered to Armenia have entered "the final phase" and their results will be announced soon, Energy Minister Armen Movsisian said on Thursday.

• February 1, 2013