The U.N. Deputy Special Envoy for Syria on Sunday held talks with Syrian officials in Damascus to sound out their position on how to break an impasse hindering the proposed resumption of peace talks around the end of August.

• July 31, 2016

Turkey dismissed nearly 1,400 more members of its armed forces and stacked the top military council with government ministers on Sunday, moves designed by President Tayyip Erdogan to put him in full control of the military after a failed coup.

• July 31, 2016

Partial sanctions against Russian athletes over the country's state-run doping system are preliminary, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said on Sunday, defending the organization's position amid vocal criticism.

• July 31, 2016

British Prime Minister Theresa May personally intervened to delay the French and Chinese-backed Hinkley Point nuclear project so she could further consider the deal, a government source said, explaining Friday's shock move.

• July 30, 2016

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is concerned that a deal struck with Turkey in March on handling a wave of migrants bound for Europe could collapse, he told an Austrian newspaper.

• July 30, 2016

Turkey on Saturday released more than 750 soldiers who had been detained after an abortive coup, state media reported, while President Tayyip Erdogan said he would drop lawsuits against those who had insulted him, in a one-time gesture of "unity".

• July 30, 2016

China and Russia will hold "routine" naval exercises in the South China Sea in September, China's Defence Ministry said on Thursday, adding that the drills were aimed at strengthening their cooperation and were not aimed at any other country.

• July 28, 2016

Italy's Monte dei Paschi di Siena, (BMPS.MI), which is scrambling to put together a privately backed bailout, suffered a setback on Thursday when three banks turned down a request to back a planned 5 billion euro ($5.5 bln) cash call.

• July 28, 2016