Authorities in Belarus have declared Germany's legendary hard rock band Rammstein a threat to the state. They've banned an upcoming concert in Minsk, saying letting it go on would be a "costly mistake" for the country.

• 23 February 2010

China tightens controls on internet use, requiring anyone who wants to set up a website to meet regulators and produce ID documents.

• 23 February 2010

Leading European think-tanks propose new approaches in development policy to cope with future challenges. The EU should take on more prominent role in the area, argue this week's commenators Sven Grimm and Simon Maxwell.

• 23 February 2010

Western diplomats express deep concern at a decree by Afghan President Hamid Karzai giving him control of the election watchdog.

• 23 February 2010

European Union foreign ministers condemn the use of forged passports in the assassination of a top Palestinian militant.

• 22 February 2010

Over a week into the joint allied offensive in Helmand province, NATO commanders have been cautioning that the true success of the mission cannot be fully gauged for months to come and indeed possibly beyond that.

• 22 February 2010

Israel's prime minister announces a controversial plan to add two West Bank religious sites to the country's national heritage list.

• 21 February 2010

Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko drops her legal challenge against her rival's victory in Ukraine's presidential election.

• 20 February 2010