Boosted by an election victory, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to use the G20 summit to remind the world of his status as a global leader and consolidate his domestic popularity.

Commentators began writing Erdogan's political obituary when his Islamic-rooted ruling party lost its outright majority in June elections for the first time since it swept to power over a decade ago.

The Syrian army's decision to repeatedly extend tours of duty and aggressive recent conscription campaigns are stirring anger online and in private conversations among pro-regime Syrians.

Depleted by years of conflict, with its ranks approximately halved, the army has been forced to keep conscripts on well past their usual two years of service.

The stunning victory of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party in legislative elections has plunged the Turkish opposition into disarray, leaving it fighting simmering rebellions and baffled over how to challenge the strongman leader.

Leaders of the traditional opposition parties are all under pressure after failing to stop the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in its tracks on November 1, when it defied pollsters' expectations and regained an overall majority.

An increasingly popular route for migrants across Russia and into Norway has Oslo angered and worried as winter approaches, while commentators suspect Moscow is deliberately creating problems for its neighbor.

Since the start of the year, around 4,000 asylum seekers have made a long detour through the far north to cross the border between Russia and Norway, which is a member of the Schengen agreement on free movement even though it is not a member of the European Union.

Last month's deadly Russian jet crash in Egypt has plunged the north African tourist industry further into crisis, with resorts seen as less risky now likely to benefit from the shifting travel patterns, experts said.

Sunseeking travelers are also likely to place particular emphasis on the reputation of particular airports when making plans, although attractive prices are certain to still be a major factor.

Catalonia may have voted to kick off a process towards independence but the wealthy region is far from breaking up with Spain, and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy could actually benefit in upcoming elections, experts say.

Lawmakers in Catalonia officially started a process Monday to secede from Spain by 2017 in an unprecedented showdown with Madrid, after a parliamentary majority voted for a pro-independence resolution.

Portugal's left-wing opposition alliance looks set to topple the country's center-right minority government Tuesday in a crucial parliamentary vote barely 10 days after it was sworn in.

The vote comes as European fears mount over the prospect of a left-wing coalition taking power in a country still recovering after receiving a 78-billion-euro ($87-billion) bailout in exchange for strict austerity measures, and with investors concerned over the political crisis.

The summit between the presidents of China and Taiwan promised warmer ties and was loaded with historic symbolism as both men sought to secure their legacy -- but there were few concrete results in their bid to mend decades of estrangement.

China's Xi Jinping and Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou shook hands for more than a minute to herald the start of a meeting once unthinkable due to the enmity between the two sides.

Prime Minister David Cameron unveils Britain's EU reform demands next week, firing the starting gun for tough negotiations that London insists will mean changes to the bloc's treaties.

But can Cameron really expect to rewrite the rulebook ahead of a referendum on Britain's European Union membership to be held by the end of 2017?

Intelligence that first suggested an attack may have brought down a Russian passenger jet over Egypt last week largely justifies the mass surveillance carried out by U.S. and British spies, experts said Friday.

While accumulating massive amounts of intercepted telephone and electronic communications and satellite imagery can hardly ever prevent an attack, it can help to shed light afterwards on what happened, they said.