The United States approved conditional sanctions waivers for Iran on Sunday, though it cautioned they would not take effect until Tehran has curbed its nuclear program as required under a historic nuclear deal reached in Vienna on July 14.

• October 18, 2015

Germany's foreign minister said on Sunday sanctions against Iran would likely remain in place until at least January as world powers wait to see whether Tehran sticks to its commitments under a plan to curb its nuclear program.

• October 18, 2015

The leaders of ex-Soviet states, led by Russian President Vladimir Putin, responded to growing instability in Afghanistan on Friday by agreeing to create a joint task force to defend their bloc's external borders if a crisis arises.

• October 16, 2015

Israel on Friday rejected a Palestinian appeal for an international protection force for the al-Aqsa mosque on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, saying the status quo was the only way to ensure stability in the region.

• October 16, 2015

China's defense minister said on Friday that he is willing to hold joint drills in the disputed South China Sea with Southeast Asian countries, covering accidental encounters and search and rescue, striking a conciliatory tone over an increasingly tense spat.

• October 16, 2015

Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Uruguay and Ukraine were elected to the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, pitting Kiev against veto-power Russia in what Ukraine's foreign minister promised would not be a conciliatory two-year term.

• October 15, 2015

European Union leaders have postponed a deeper discussion of the future of the euro zone until December because of divergent views in the biggest countries and because of the more pressing migration issue, diplomats said.

• October 15, 2015

Turkey asked the European Union for 3 billion euros on Thursday, easier travel to the EU for its citizens and diplomatic favors in exchange for helping stem the flow of Syrian refugees to Europe, EU officials and diplomats said after talks in Ankara.

• October 15, 2015