Greece's government said it was up to euro zone finance ministers to decide whether to accept or reject its proposal to extend a loan agreement, in a bid to play down German comments rejecting the proposal as insufficient.

• February 19, 2015

China's creation of artificial islands in the South China Sea is happening so fast that Beijing will be able to extend the range of its navy, air force, coastguard and fishing fleets before long, much to the alarm of rival claimants to the contested waters.

• February 19, 2015

Moldova's parliament is expected on Wednesday to approve as prime minister 38-year-old businessman Chiril Gaburici, who promises to forge closer ties with Europe, despite fears of a possible Russian backlash.

• February 18, 2015

Government forces were pulling out of an encircled town in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday after a fierce assault by Russian-backed separatists which Kiev and Europe said violated a crumbling ceasefire.

• February 18, 2015

Sweden and Finland plan to extend their cooperation on defense and set up a joint naval task force as the two neighbors respond to rising tensions with Russia in the Baltic region.

• February 18, 2015

Germany will overhaul its security strategy in coming years in response to Russian attempts to use "power politics and military force" to assert its interests, Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday.

• February 17, 2015

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Tuesday that his government was working toward a successful negotiation with the euro zone on its loan program but would not succumb to blackmail.

• February 17, 2015

A Russian court on Tuesday ended house arrest terms for Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and upheld a suspended three-and-a-half-year prison term for the protest leader in a theft case he says is politically motivated.

• February 17, 2015