World stocks and the dollar marked time on Wednesday as cautious investors focused on hopes that U.S. politicians would strike a last-minute deal to prevent the country defaulting on its debt.

• October 16, 2013

Six world powers and Iran will likely meet again in Geneva in several weeks time to try to hammer out details of an emerging agreement aimed at ending the standoff over Tehran's nuclear ambitions, Western diplomats said on Wednesday.

• October 16, 2013

A keenly awaited European Union report will criticize excessive use of force by Turkish police in tackling protests this year but urge the EU to breathe new life into Turkey's faltering bid to join the 28-nation bloc.

• October 16, 2013

Police stepped up security in Moscow on Tuesday to prevent a repeat of rioting over the killing of an ethnic Russian as crowds of Muslims celebrated the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha.

• October 15, 2013

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday world powers had a "good" first reaction to Tehran's proposals for easing the stand-off over its nuclear program and that details would be discussed in the afternoon.

• October 15, 2013

A month of combat in the U.S. Congress over government spending showed signs on Monday of giving way to a Senate deal to reopen shuttered federal agencies and prevent an economically damaging default on federal debt.

• October 15, 2013

China denounced on Monday a decision by a Spanish criminal court to indict former Chinese president Hu Jintao for genocide as part of an investigation into whether his government committed abuses in Tibet.

• October 14, 2013

South Korea should reduce its reliance on nuclear power in view of public discontent with corruption in the industry and Japan's difficulty tackling the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, a group weighing up the problem said on Sunday.

• October 14, 2013