China's Foreign Ministry urged a role for the U.N. Security Council in resolving the crisis in Syria on Friday after the United States said it had given up trying to work with the council on Syria, accusing Russia of holding it hostage.

• September 6, 2013

The U.S. special envoy for North Korea will travel to South Korea, China and Japan next week for consultations on policy toward Pyongyang, the State Department said on Thursday.

• September 6, 2013

A brief photo-op on Thursday between Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin spoke volumes, limited mostly to tight smiles and a businesslike handshake between U.S. and Russian leaders bitterly divided by the crisis in Syria.

• September 6, 2013

China warned on Thursday that military intervention in Syria would hurt the world economy and push up oil prices, reinforcing Vladimir Putin's attempts to talk U.S. President Barack Obama out of air strikes.

• September 5, 2013

Russia's top gas producer Gazprom (GAZP.MM) and China's CNPC agreed on Thursday on basic terms of long-awaited gas supplies to China, paving the way for the final deal, which would cement Moscow's footing in the world's second largest economy.

• September 5, 2013

Russia is sending a missile cruiser to the east Mediterranean to take over the navy's operations in the region, state agency Interfax quoted a military source as saying on Wednesday, as the United States prepares for a possible military strike in Syria.

• September 4, 2013

A Russian envoy has warned Moldova that its pro-Europe drive could cause it to lose for good its control over the breakaway territory of Transdniestria and lead to a more costly energy relationship with Russia, its main supplier of gas.

• September 4, 2013

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are proving pointless and will not bear fruit without much greater pressure from Washington, a top aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday.

• September 4, 2013