Washington stuck to its demand on Thursday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad leave power, ahead of peace talks which will include Assad's main ally Iran for the first time, reflecting his stronger position since Russia joined the war on his side.

• October 29, 2015

Turkey's election on Sunday could mark a turning point in relations with the European Union, either bolstering President Tayyip Erdogan's bid to accumulate more power or putting a check on a leader many in Europe accuse of creeping authoritarianism.

• October 29, 2015

Militants in Afghanistan who have switched sides to Islamic State pose a growing risk to Central Asia, Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russia's Federal Security Service, was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency on Wednesday.

• October 28, 2015

Russia's intervention in Syria is "not going particularly well" and it should instead push for political transition in the country, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's deputy Antony Blinken told France 24 television.

• October 28, 2015

Upcoming Syrian peace talks will be meaningful only if all relevant parties take part in the discussions, the White House said on Wednesday, adding that Iran's invitation to participate does not absolve it of any role in the crisis.

• October 28, 2015

France will host talks on the Syria conflict on Tuesday with representatives from the United States, Europe, Jordan and Turkey but without Syria's allies Russia and Iran, the foreign ministry said.

• October 27, 2015

Further diplomatic discussions on ending the Syrian conflict could occur as soon as the end of this week, a State Department spokesman said on Monday, acknowledging that Iran would eventually need to be involved in the talks on a political transition in Syria.

• October 26, 2015

India hosts its biggest-ever Africa summit this week as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to challenge China's dominance on a continent that is blessed with vast natural resources and has the world's fastest-growing population.

• October 26, 2015