RUSSIA

A man walks past a Dia supermarket in Madrid on February 5, 2019.Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman's holding company LetterOne has made a buyout offer for Spain's Dia Group supermarket chain

NATO defence ministers Thursday slammed Turkey for its military operation in Syria conducted with Russia's help, but recognised there was little they could do to sanction their strategically important ally.The first day of a two-day meeting of the ministers in Brussels was dominated by the issue, with Turkey isolated among the 29 member states because of its incursion against Kurdish fighters it considers "terrorists" but who are key in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria.

Russia is showing off its next generation Kalashnikov assault rifles, helicopters and facial recognition systems as President Vladimir Putin hosts dozens of African leaders for a major summit in Sochi.The Wednesday and Thursday event at the Black Sea resort has brought together delegates to discuss everything from nuclear technology to mineral extraction -- but on the sidelines, stands for arms companies dominate.

Mass protests in Santiago, Chile raised questions about an upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, but the government says it will be held on schedule November 16-17

Metropolitan Yepifaniy is enthroned as head of the independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church in February 2019

Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam is set to be Africa's largest when it is completed

Maria Butina is to be released from US prison after completing her 18-month sentence for acting as an illegal foreign agent

NASA’s asteroid monitoring system has detected three asteroids that are currently approaching Earth. Given the sizes of the approaching asteroids, they could cause powerful explosions in the atmosphere if they collide with the planet.

Syrian Kurds waved flags and chanted slogans against Ankara's invading force

Edward Snowden graced the "Joe Rogan Experience" podcast to talk about his book, aliens, and how the US government is using the smartphone to spy on its users.

Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksandr Dubinsky (l) taking the lie detector test

Melting glaciers in the Russian Arctic reveal five new islands.

Turkish soldiers patrolled the town of Tal Abyad in northern Syria a day after the agreement between Moscow and Ankara

The GOP wants to take the focus off testimony damaging to the Trump presidency and focus instead on how Democrats are gathering information.

Trump said sanctions against Turkey for its incursion into Syria will be lifted -- as long as Turkey upholds promises to protect the rights of different ethnic and religious groups.

Russia's trade with Africa currently is less than half that of France with the continent, and 10 times less than that of China -- Russia leads only in terms of arms sales

Turkish soldiers patrol the northern Syrian Kurdish town of Tal Abyad near the Turkish border on Wednesday

James Jeffrey, State Department special representative for Syria engagement, testifies before Congress

US President Donald Trump has been under fire for abruptly withdrawing US troops from northern Syria

Syrian Kurdish fighters raise their flag in March after overrunning the last vestige of the Islamic Strate group's "caliphate" in a US-backed offensive they had hoped would earn them Western support for their dreams of self-rule

Russia has also exerted soft power in the CAR. Kremlin funding resurrected the Miss Central African Republic beauty pageant after a three-year break