The ongoing unrest, violence and security crackdowns in Syria have been the subject of major international attention since February. Our current assessment is that the government and opposition forces have reached a stalemate in which the government cannot quell the unrest and the opposition cannot bring down the regime without outside intervention. READ MORE

The foreign ministers of NATO Allies and partner countries will meet in Brussels on 7 and 8 December to discuss current operations, the Alliance’s relationship with its partners, and preparations for the NATO summit in Chicago on 20-21 May 2012. READ MORE

Gazprom Deputy Chairman Alexander Medvedev has said Turkey will give the OK for the South Stream pipeline project, which will transport Russian natural gas to Europe by passing through Turkish territorial waters, by the end of the year. READ MORE