Russia said on Monday it was ready for dialogue with Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's next president, but warned the Kiev authorities not to step up armed operations against separatists in the east.

• May 26, 2014

Russia will pull back all forces deployed to regions near its border with Ukraine "within a few days," a deputy defense minister said on Friday, a move that if carried out could ease tensions around Ukraine's presidential election on Sunday.

• May 24, 2014

China warned Japan on Friday to stay out of a growing dispute with its neighbors over the South China Sea, as the Philippines implicitly accused Beijing of delaying talks aimed at a solution.

• May 24, 2014

Pakistan has accepted an invitation to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to attend the inauguration of Indian Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, an official said on Saturday.

• May 24, 2014

Russia's landmark deal to supply natural gas to China will affect prices in Europe and have an impact on international liquefied natural gas projects, the chief executive of state-run Gazprom said on Friday.

• May 23, 2014

Russia and China vetoed on Thursday a resolution to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court for possible prosecution of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the country's three-year civil war.

• May 23, 2014

China and Russia signed a $400 billion gas supply deal on Wednesday, securing the world's top energy user a major source of fuel and opening up a new market for Moscow as it risks losing European customers over the Ukraine crisis.

• May 23, 2014

Syria's presidential election is just a fortnight away and Damascenes fear rebels will mark it with fierce mortar bombardment on the capital, or even a devastating tunnel bomb similar to attacks in northern Syria.

• May 22, 2014