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

The United Nations said on Tuesday it had launched its third major push in as many years to find common ground between the warring parties in Syria and for the first time said it hoped Syria's armed opposition groups might come to Geneva.

• May 5, 2015

Europe aims to improve security and defense cooperation with China, especially in the Middle East and in the fight against human trafficking, the European Union's foreign policy chief said on Tuesday following high-level talks in Beijing.

• May 5, 2015

Local fighters battling the rebel Houthi militia in Yemen's port of Aden stormed areas around the airport on Sunday in an operation supervised by the Saudi-led coalition, which also provided air support, the group's spokesman said.

• May 3, 2015

The Saudi-led coalition carrying out air strikes in Yemen has probably used cluster bombs which are banned by most countries, the international monitoring group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Sunday.

• May 3, 2015

Representatives at preliminary talks aiming to end Afghanistan's long war have agreed that Taliban insurgents should open a political office for negotiations, but disagreement over foreign troops is still hampering prospects for a ceasefire.

• May 3, 2015

NATO launched one of its biggest-ever anti-submarine exercises in the North Sea on Monday, inviting non-member Sweden for the first time, amid increasing tensions between Russia and its northern neighbors.

• May 3, 2015

Qatar said on Saturday it was hosting a dialogue this weekend between Afghan officials and representatives of the Taliban insurgents on ways to end the country's long war.

• May 2, 2015