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

Russian President Vladimir Putin said after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday that the peace process in eastern Ukraine was progressing despite difficulties.

• May 10, 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

Greece will easily make the upcoming payments to the International Monetary Fund even though its liquidity situation is poor, a senior euro zone official said on Friday.

• May 8, 2015

Saudi Arabia said on Friday a five-day humanitarian ceasefire in Yemen would begin on Tuesday if the Iranian-allied Houthi militia it has been fighting agreed to the pause.

• May 8, 2015

Energy, transport and finance deals are likely to be on the agenda as Chinese President Xi Jinping meets his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during a three-day visit to Russia, where he will attend World War Two commemorations.

• May 8, 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