The Kremlin's prized oil firm Rosneft is cutting staff and production and selling stakes in Siberian fields in the strongest evidence to date that Western sanctions are hurting what was the world's fastest growing oil firm in recent years.

• September 9, 2014

Lithuania's central bank cut its 2014 economic growth forecast on Monday, citing in part Russia's ban on imports on certain foods from several Western countries.

• September 8, 2014

World markets jumped on Wednesday as Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko said a ceasefire had been reached with Russia, raising hopes that a recent escalation in the conflict could be reversed.

• September 3, 2014

Hong Kong is poised for a showdown with China when the Chinese parliament meets later on Sunday, with the largely rubber-stamp body likely to snuff out hopes for a democratic breakthrough in the regional financial hub at elections due in 2017.

• August 30, 2014

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said China will spur military innovation and called on the army to create a new strategy for "information warfare" as the country embarks on military reform, state media said on Saturday.

• August 30, 2014

Poland and Ukraine refused permission for a plane carrying Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to use their airspace on Friday while returning home from a visit to Slovakia.

• August 29, 2014

The International Monetary Fund signed off on its first review of Ukraine's $17 billion loan program on Friday, but warned risks loomed ahead as long as Kiev continued to fight a pro-Russian separatist rebellion in the east.

• August 29, 2014

The euro zone's growing fears of deflation will be stirred again on Friday when preliminary consumer price data for August is issued, with signs the European Central Bank could be looking at bolder steps to help the region's stagnant economy.

• August 25, 2014