China, Russia naval drill in South China Sea to begin Monday
China and Russia will hold eight days of naval drills in the South China Sea off southern China's Guangdong province starting from Monday, China's navy said.
Iran welcomes Syria deal, urges political solution
Iran, a close ally and military backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, welcomed a U.S.-Russian deal for a truce in Syria, saying on Sunday the conflict should be ended through politics.
U.N. says U.S.-Russia talks on Syria crucial as aid stops rolling in
The Syrian government has effectively stopped aid convoys this month and the besieged city of Aleppo is close to running out of fuel, making U.S.-Russian peace talks in Geneva on Friday even more urgent, the United Nations said.
Lavrov, Kerry express concern after latest North Korea nuclear test
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed concern after North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test on Friday.
With Syria 'safe zone' plan, Turkey faces diplomatic balancing act
Turkey will have to strike a balance between the conflicting goals of Russia and the United States if it is to achieve its ambition of a "safe zone" in northern Syria and build on an incursion which gave it control of a thin strip of the border.
German foreign minister urges Russia to reach deal with U.S. on Syria ceasefire
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday urged Russia to finalize a ceasefire agreement on Syria with the United States and stressed the urgency of delivering humanitarian aid to people under siege in Aleppo.
Turkey pushes west in offensive against Islamic State in Syria
Turkey renewed air strikes on Islamic State sites in Syria on Friday, extending operations along a 90-km (56-mile) corridor near the Turkish border which Ankara says it is clearing of jihadists and protecting from Kurdish militia expansion.
Japan's military seeks record spending to counter North Korea, China moves
Japan's defense ministry on Wednesday asked for a hike in spending to record levels, as it juggles its responses to a growing ballistic missile threat from North Korea and China's assertive moves in the East China Sea.
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