The Syrian deputy prime minister says Russia and Syria are discussing the possibility of Moscow giving a loan to Damascus.

• July 22, 2013

EU foreign ministers have agreed to list the military wing of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.

• July 22, 2013

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc won a decisive election victory on Sunday, cementing his grip on power but raising the possibility he could lose interest in difficult economic reform and shift focus to his nationalist agenda instead.

• July 21, 2013

Military support from Iran and its Shi'ite ally Hezbollah has given Syrian President Bashar al-Assad new impetus in his fight against the insurgents intent on ousting him, but at a price.

• July 21, 2013

Japan has added its voice to international calls for Britain to maintain a leading role in the European Union, saying that membership is a key advantage for companies looking to access Europe's single market.

• July 21, 2013

As China pushes an aggressive expansion of nuclear power it is running into a major stumbling block - a breakdown of trust, post-Fukushima, in official assurances of public safety.

• July 19, 2013

Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 leading and emerging economies (G20) are starting a two-day meeting in Moscow on July 19.

• July 19, 2013

Detroit has become the largest US city ever to file for bankruptcy, with debts of at least $18bn (£12bn).

• July 19, 2013