A race to save Greece from bankruptcy and keep it in the euro gathered pace on Wednesday when Athens formally applied for a three-year loan and European authorities launched an accelerated review of the request.

• July 8, 2015

The Philippines argued at a closed hearing on Tuesday that an international court should intervene in its dispute with China over the right to exploit natural resources and fish in the South China Sea.

• July 7, 2015

"Today we need the Iron Chancellor," read the front-page headline in top-selling German newspaper Bild on Tuesday, next to a picture of Angela Merkel in a Prussian helmet.

• July 7, 2015

NATO is preparing for a long standoff with Russia, reluctantly accepting that the Ukraine conflict has fundamentally transformed Europe's security landscape and that it may have to abandon hope of a constructive relationship with Moscow.

• July 6, 2015

Russian President Vladimir Putin must be finding it hard to contain a wry smile as the European Union struggles with Greece's debt problems.

• July 4, 2015

Iran and world powers continued marathon talks on Saturday in an attempt to clinch an historic nuclear accord but remained divided on issues such as lifting U.N. sanctions and development of advanced centrifuges.

• July 4, 2015

A year and half of nuclear talks between Iran and major powers were creeping toward the finish line on Friday as negotiators wrestled with sticking points including questions about Tehran's past atomic research.

• July 3, 2015

The euro zone's rescue fund, Greece's largest creditor, on Friday declared Athens in default on its euro zone loans after missing a payment to the IMF, and reserved the right to call in 130.9 billion euros in debt ahead of schedule.

• July 3, 2015