China will act to promote judicial independence over the next five years with measures including specialized tribunals for environment and intellectual property cases, state media reported on Wednesday.

• July 9, 2014

Russia has given the green light for career diplomat John Tefft to be appointed U.S. ambassador to Moscow, an aide to President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

• July 9, 2014

The United States will press China to resume cooperation on fighting cyber espionage to ensure an orderly cyber environment, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday ahead of annual talks between the world's two largest economies this week.

• July 8, 2014

In a country torn between Russia and western Europe, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's decision to resume an offensive against pro-Moscow rebels has carefully ignored both neighbors to show an ear acutely tuned to Ukrainian domestic politics.

• July 7, 2014

China and South Korea have a common interest in ensuring Tokyo is held to account for its wartime past, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday, amid their shared concerns about Japan's more assertive security strategy.

• July 5, 2014

Iran has reduced demands for the size of its future nuclear enrichment program in talks with world powers although Western governments are urging Tehran to compromise further, Western diplomats said on Thursday.

• July 4, 2014

Russian President Vladimir Putin called for better relations with the United States on Friday in a congratulatory message to President Barack Obama marking U.S. Independence Day.

• July 4, 2014

The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine agreed in Berlin on Wednesday to hold three-way talks involving pro-Moscow rebels by Saturday to pave the way for a new ceasefire, despite continued fighting that Kiev says has now killed 200 of its troops.

• July 3, 2014