Tensions between Iran and the U.S. could escalate towards potential war, but both Russia and China are opposed to Western intervention in Iran.

• Date: 30.12.2011  |  Published on EGF: 30.12.2011  |  External Relations  |  from digitaljournal.com

Ehud Barak, the defense minister of Israel, said in late November that it was probably a question of nine months before Iran’s attempt to acquire nuclear weapons moved into a “zone of immunity” where it could no longer be stopped.

• Date: 29.12.2011  |  Published on EGF: 29.12.2011  |  External Relations  |  from nytimes.com

Violence in the western Kazakh town of Zhanaozen earlier this month left 16 people dead

• Date: 29.12.2011  |  Published on EGF: 29.12.2011  |  Security  |  from bbc.co.uk

Afghanistan on Wednesday signed an oil deal with China which could earn the war-torn country $7 billion over 25 years.

• Date: 28.12.2011  |  Published on EGF: 28.12.2011  |  Energy  |  from dawn.com

Iran would swap 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day with Caspian Sea littoral states.

• Date: 28.12.2011  |  Published on EGF: 28.12.2011  |  Energy  |  from news.az

Bulgaria is about to start construction a natural gas interconnection with Romania in a few weeks, according to Bulgarian Economy, Energy, and Tourism Minister Traicho Traikov.

• Date: 26.12.2011  |  Published on EGF: 26.12.2011  |  Energy  |  from novinite.com

The ruling camp will go down simply because it has failed to instil confidence among the common people

• Date: 24.12.2011  |  Published on EGF: 24.12.2011  |  Markets  |  from gulfnews.com

A senior U.S. official has dismissed Iran's threats against NATO missile defense installations in Turkey ahead of a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to the key U.S. ally and linchpin of NATO's southern flank.

• Date: 24.12.2011  |  Published on EGF: 24.12.2011  |  Energy  |  from Yahoo! news