President Vladimir Putin says Russian-American ties are more important than the issue of the fugitive former U.S. intelligence leaker Edward Snowden, who is currently sheltering at a Moscow airport.

• July 18, 2013

Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka is beginning a three-day visit to China.

• July 18, 2013

China needs another round of "decisive measures" to make sure it continues its successful economic growth as its margins of safety are falling amid growing domestic problems, the International Monetary Fund said in its latest report.

• July 17, 2013

Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn expects Russia's car market to overcome recent weakness and is aiming, with the help of Lada-maker AvtoVAZ (AVAZ.MM), to capture 40 percent of the market, he said in a newspaper interview.

• July 16, 2013

President Barack Obama raised U.S. concerns directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday over Moscow's handling of former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden, but there was no sign of a breakthrough on Washington's demand that Russia expel him.

• July 14, 2013

Russia's U.N. envoy on Thursday sharply criticized what he described as Western nations' "small propaganda storm in a glass of water" regarding allegations that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against its own people.

• July 12, 2013

Former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden has invited human rights groups to meet with him on July 12 at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport.

• July 11, 2013

A Syrian opposition leader is undermining chances for proposed peace talks by saying that foes of President Bashar al-Assad will only attend if they make military headway first, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

• July 10, 2013