Iran is prepared for "all scenarios" in talks with world powers about curbing its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, its top nuclear negotiator said on Friday when asked what would happen if no final deal was reached by July.

• May 15, 2015

Islamic State militants raised their black flag over the local government headquarters in the Iraqi city of Ramadi on Friday and claimed victory through mosque loudspeakers after overrunning most of the western provincial capital.

• May 15, 2015

Russian land forces will join troops from China, India, Mongolia and Belarus in a series of joint military training exercises during the second half of this year, President Vladimir Putin's office said on Wednesday.

• May 13, 2015

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will leave China "in absolutely no doubt" about Washington's commitment to freedom of navigation and flight in the South China Sea when he visits Beijing this weekend, a senior State Department official said on Wednesday.

• May 13, 2015

As the Philippine military C-130 transport plane made its approach to the country's most precious outpost in the disputed South China Sea on Monday, it flew past a reef which China is quickly turning into an island.

• May 11, 2015

China cut interest rates for the third time in six months on Sunday in a bid to lower companies' borrowing costs and stoke a sputtering economy that is headed for its worst year in a quarter of a century.

• May 10, 2015

Yemen's dominant Houthi group accepted a five-day humanitarian ceasefire proposed by its adversary Saudi Arabia on Sunday but said it would respond to any violations of the pause.

• May 10, 2015

The U.S. military has started training Syrian fighters to combat Islamic State militants, officials said on Thursday, adding the program had begun in Jordan and would soon launch in Turkey.

• May 7, 2015