There are signs of hope regarding recent developments in the Balkans. Various new trends point to a more optimistic scenario for the future of the region.

• May 24, 2010

Ahead of a three-nation summit this week-end involving South Korea, China and Japan, their trade ministers have agreed to work for creating a free-trade bloc as a part of efforts to spur economic partnership among the three Northeast Asian nations, said a joint statement Sunday.

• May 24, 2010

British Airways cabin crew begin a five-day strike in their long-running dispute over jobs and pay.

• May 24, 2010

South Korea's president suspends trade with the North, after a report blamed Pyongyang for sinking a southern warship.

• May 24, 2010

Russia is ready to invest about $1 billion to develop uranium deposits in Namibia, the world’s fourth-biggest producer of the metal, said Sergei Kiriyenko, chief executive officer of Rosatom Corp.

• May 22, 2010

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has phoned world leaders to seek support for a deal Iran agreed to earlier this week to ease tensions over its nuclear program as a US-led coalition pushes for sanctions against Tehran to force it to stop enriching uranium.

• May 21, 2010

The selling price of power generated by gas-based plants will go up by up to Rs 1.20 per unit on account of the hike in the price of natural gas, government said today.

• May 21, 2010

Russian industrial output surged in April as the manufacture of cars, steel pipes and freight cars increased, signaling a rebound from the country's worst recession may be picking up pace.

• May 21, 2010