Eurasia

The United States condemns the ongoing air assault by Syrian government forces on civilians, including the indiscriminate use of SCUD missiles and barrel bombs in and around Aleppo over the last week, the White House said on

EU High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy Catherine Ashton Tuesday voiced extreme concern that “South Sudan risks spiralling into a disaster for both its own people and the region.”

Syrian warplanes have killed more than 300 people, including 87 children, in an eight-day bombing campaign against rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo, a monitor said Dec. 23.

The European Union has warned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to cease his interference in a major corruption probe into high-ranking officials.

Defence lawyers for wartime Croatian Serb political leader Goran Hadzic argued this week that the charges against their client should be dismissed because the prosecution had failed to prove its case.

European Union leaders said Friday the door to a closer partnership with Ukraine remained open but not necessarily for the current Ukrainian leadership, which chose a bailout from Russia in preference to a trade deal with

Turkish police have used tear gas against thousands of anti-government protesters in Istanbul as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to break the hands of “plotters”.

On Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel European started her first speech as head of the new coalition government stressed that security and defense policy “needs to become more efficient, more visible and more effective.” 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday welcomed the release from a Russian prison of Kremlin critic and ex-oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has said he does not intend to return to Russia until a USD 550 M lawsuit against him and Platon Lebedev is settled.