The euro zone's rescue fund, Greece's largest creditor, on Friday declared Athens in default on its euro zone loans after missing a payment to the IMF, and reserved the right to call in 130.9 billion euros in debt ahead of schedule.

• July 3, 2015

Russia expressed "deep concern" on Thursday over Ukraine's plans to decentralize power as part of a peace deal with separatist rebels, underlining the gulf between Moscow and Kiev as the conflict rumbles on despite a ceasefire.

• July 2, 2015

Russia sought on Wednesday to ease concern in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia over plans to review the legality of a 1991 decision formally granting them independence from the Soviet Union.

• July 1, 2015

The global nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday its boss would fly to Tehran to discuss one of the biggest sticking points that need to be resolved so that Iran and world powers can reach a breakthrough final nuclear deal by a new deadline of next week.

• July 1, 2015

Euro zone finance ministers in the Eurogroup discussed a Greek application for a new conditional loan package on a conference call on Wednesday, EU officials said, but decided to freeze talks until after Sunday's referendum.

• July 1, 2015

Iran and six world powers - the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China - are in what may be the final phase of negotiations aimed at securing a deal on sanctions relief in exchange for limits on Iranian nuclear activities.

• June 30, 2015

Greece will lose access to a 1.8 billion euro loan tranche, as well as 10.9 billion euros for recapitalizing banks, when the country's financial aid package expires at midnight (6.00 p.m. EDT), the euro zone's bailout fund said on Tuesday.

• June 30, 2015

Syria's foreign minister said in Moscow on Monday Russia had promised to send political, economic and military aid to his country, where the army is coming under some of the heaviest pressure since the start of the civil war.

• June 29, 2015