French air assaults come as the jihadists break under the pressure of military operations.

Numerous militant groups are active in North and West Africa, but al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is among the most notorious.

The Xayaburi project and other hydroelectric dams planned along the Mekong River represent one of the most promising prospects for Laos' economic future.

New infrastructure is opening up markets for Russian energy exports in the east.

A power vacuum in Syria will drive Alawites, Druze, Kurds and Christians to collaborate in the face of a broader Sunni threat.

One Israeli party has proposed annexing part of the West Bank.

The spillover of Myanmar refugees into China challenges Beijing's ability to influence ethnic groups in the region.

Brasilia hopes the promotion of ethanol will ease pressures on state-owned energy company Petrobras.

Russia is already the Balkans' main energy provider, and South Stream will allow it to fortify that position.

Given the resources it is deploying, Paris is clearly preparing for any contingencies that could arise during its military operation against jihadists in Mali.