The Philippines said on September 7 it was "gravely concerned" that Chinese boats were preparing to build structures at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, shattering an appearance of cordiality at an Asian summit in Laos.

An Iraqi Shi'ite militia said on September 7 it had dispatched more than 1,000 fighters to the frontline in neighboring Syria, escalating foreign involvement in the battle for Aleppo, the biggest prize in five years of relentless civil war.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on September 6 there was a possibility of reaching an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria within 24 hours.

A delegation from Turkey's justice ministry has met with the Council of Europe to review European human rights standards and conventions as Ankara prepares to prosecute those it holds responsible for a failed July 15 coup, the head of the CoE said.

The UN Security Council strongly on September 6 condemned the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s latest ballistic missile launches, saying they contributed to Pyongyang's development of nuclear weapons capability.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said on September 6 that a crucial national referendum on his plan for constitutional reform will be held on a Sunday between Nov. 15 and Dec. 5.

The United States and Russia will work in the next few days on a deal to curb fighting in Syria and build cooperation in the fight against terrorism, their leaders said on September 5, as blasts claimed by Islamic State killed dozens across the Arab nation.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired three ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast on September 5, the Republic of Korea and US militaries said, as the leaders of the Group of 20 major economies held a summit in China, the DPRK's main diplomatic ally.

A car bomb hit the center of Kabul late on September 5, just hours after a Taliban suicide attack near the Defense Ministry killed at least 24 people including a number of senior security officials, and wounded 91 others, officials said.

Russian Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukaev said on September 4 President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan had agreed to form a joint investment fund between their two countries.