Hong Kong is poised for a showdown with China when the Chinese parliament meets later on Sunday, with the largely rubber-stamp body likely to snuff out hopes for a democratic breakthrough in the regional financial hub at elections due in 2017.

• August 30, 2014

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said China will spur military innovation and called on the army to create a new strategy for "information warfare" as the country embarks on military reform, state media said on Saturday.

• August 30, 2014

Poland and Ukraine refused permission for a plane carrying Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to use their airspace on Friday while returning home from a visit to Slovakia.

• August 29, 2014

The International Monetary Fund signed off on its first review of Ukraine's $17 billion loan program on Friday, but warned risks loomed ahead as long as Kiev continued to fight a pro-Russian separatist rebellion in the east.

• August 29, 2014

Ukraine called on Friday for full membership in NATO, its strongest plea yet for Western military help, after accusing Russia of sending in armored columns that have driven back its forces on behalf of pro-Moscow rebels.

• August 29, 2014

Ukraine's president said on Thursday that Russian troops had entered his country in support of pro-Moscow rebels who captured a key coastal town, sharply escalating a five-month-old separatist war.

• August 28, 2014

Well over 1,000 Russian troops are operating inside Ukraine, marking a significant escalation of Moscow's military involvement in the country, NATO said on Thursday.

• August 28, 2014

French President Francois Hollande said on Thursday it would be "intolerable and unacceptable" if it were proven that Russian troops had entered Ukrainian territory, warning that a further escalation would lead to more sanctions.

• August 28, 2014