Russia feels increasingly under threat from developments in the Middle East and appears to be serious about cooperating with western countries to resolve the war in Syria, Germany's foreign minister said on Sunday.

• November 22, 2015

Russia's parliament backed a sweeping overhaul of national security, including possibly expanding the powers of the country's intelligence services, after the Kremlin concluded a bomb downed a Russian passenger plane over Egypt last month.

• November 20, 2015

Hundreds of innocent people have been killed in spectacular attacks claimed by Islamic State militants from Syria, but diplomats say major powers are no closer to a peace deal to end nearly five years of bloodshed and chaos there.

• November 20, 2015

The United Nations voiced alarm on Friday about the fate of nine North Koreans feared to have been deported from Vietnam via China back to their homeland, saying they might face torture or even execution.

• November 20, 2015

Moscow and Cairo signed an agreement on Thursday for Russia to build a nuclear power plant in Egypt, with Russia extending a loan to Egypt to cover the cost of construction.

• November 19, 2015

China is to buy a batch of 24 Sukhoi-35 fighter jets from Russia in a deal worth more than $2 billion, an industry source told Reuters on Thursday, in a move that may help the Kremlin's strained finances.

• November 19, 2015

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, suggesting closer trade ties between the 28-nation EU and a Russian-led economic bloc once a ceasefire is implemented in Ukraine.

• November 19, 2015

Europe's energy boss said on Wednesday EU member states lacked sufficient alternatives to Russian supplies and called for "an urgent political push" for strategic power and gas links to share resources.

• November 18, 2015