In this edition: the 2012 European Football Championship in Ukraine and Poland, Latvia's need for gas still dependent on Moscow and the European Humanities University in Belarus forced out of the country in 2004 by the nation's autocratic president.
Latvia runs entirely on Russian gas. It's a striking example at a time when the European Union is trying to depend less on Russia, which has a 42% share of the market.
Soslan Gagloev, a Russian sumotori disgraced for cannabis possession, has revealed he took part in "unfair matches in return for money", casting a shadow on Japan's most beloved sport.
Dmitry Medvedev has announced that Russia intends to build a space defence system and a new fleet of nuclear submarines by 2020, gearing up its nuclear deterrent at a time of heightened tensions with Washington.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, agreed after a meeting Wednesday that their cooperation was necessary to take action on Iran's and North Korea's nuclear programmes.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Tuesday urged the UN General Assembly to stand up to Russia, and not allow its principles to be "crushed" by tanks and "ethnic cleansing".
A meeting of world powers on further sanctions against Iran has been cancelled due to opposition from Russia, said US and Russian officials Tuesday, even as Iran's Ahmadinejad said they would continue nuclear enrichment in a UN speech.
Speaking before the UN General Assembly, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for the creation of an international institution to regulate the globalised economy, and a "joint economic community" between Europe and Russia.
Georgian forces have shot down an unmanned reconnaissance drone that was flying over a key oil pipeline in the Caucasus nation. They claim it is Russian; Moscow denies it and accuses Tbilisi of provocation.
High-ranking diplomats from six world powers will meet to discuss ways to persuade Iran to stop its sensitive nuclear work. Tensions with Russia should hang over the meeting.
