A group of Chinese warships led by the country's sole aircraft carrier entered the top half of the South China Sea on Monday after passing south of Taiwan, the self-ruled island's Defence Ministry said of what China has termed a routine exercise.

• December 26, 2016

On the morning of July 29, former Italian Industry Minister Corrado Passera was traveling in a high-speed train toward the medieval city of Siena, racing to meet the directors of the world's oldest bank to present them with a rescue plan.

• December 26, 2016

Britain should decide its own immigration policy and stop pretending Brexit is compatible with staying in the European Union's single market, a former governor of the Bank of England said on Monday.

• December 26, 2016

China needs to keep financial market liquidity stable and regulate its "money gates" to prevent asset bubbles, but it also needs to ensure a lack of liquidity doesn't cause financial stress, according to a commentary in a newspaper owned by the People's Bank of China.

• December 25, 2016

A Russian military plane carrying 92 people, including dozens of Red Army Choir singers, dancers and orchestra members, crashed into the Black Sea on its way to Syria on Sunday, killing everyone on board, Russian authorities said.

• December 25, 2016

Syrian President Bashar al Assad told Russia on Sunday he was saddened by the crash of a Russian military plane on its way to Syria but the countries' fight against Islamist militants would not be affected.

• December 25, 2016

Chinese state media on Friday expressed alarm and warned of a "showdown with the U.S." after President-elect Donald Trump named Peter Navarro, an economist who has urged a hard line against China, to head a new White House National Trade Council.

• December 23, 2016

Rosneft's (ROSN.MM) plans for next year allow it to be flexible with production volumes, Russia's top oil producer said on Saturday, after Moscow clinched a deal with OPEC to cut production to bolster weak oil prices.

• December 23, 2016