Japan and the European Union are on the cusp of a wide-ranging free trade agreement that could help blunt the forces of protectionism sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies.

• July 1, 2017

Russian President Vladimir Putin had telephone discussions with the leaders of Qatar and Bahrain, stressing the need for diplomacy to end the dispute between Qatar and several other Arab states, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

• July 1, 2017

Ukraine said on Saturday that Russian security services were involved in a recent cyber attack on the country, with the aim of destroying important data and spreading panic.

• July 1, 2017

British Prime Minister Theresa May is making Brexit minister David Davis's job of delivering Brexit harder because of her "absolutist" approach, according to his chief of staff who resigned last month.

• June 30, 2017

Defence agreements announced during a visit by the Ukrainian president to Washington this month will provide Ukraine with access to defensive military equipment of the sort needed to combat Russian-backed separatists in the east.

• June 30, 2017

President Donald Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with China over its inaction on North Korea and bilateral trade issues and is now considering possible trade actions against Beijing, three senior administration officials told Reuters.

• June 28, 2017

The European Union formally extended its economic sanctions on Russia on Wednesday, a widely expected step that keeps restrictions on business with Russian energy, defense and financial sectors until Jan. 31, 2018.

• June 28, 2017

In a stage-managed gesture of benevolence a year ahead of a presidential election, Russia's Vladimir Putin flew 1,200 km (750 miles) to call in on a woman living in squalor and ordered her to be rehoused immediately.

• June 28, 2017