RUSSIA

President Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Chief Judge Merrick Garland, faces what is sure to be a rancorous confirmation fight in the Senate.

The E.U. country wants to get rid of its old Soviet-built fighting vehicles amid regional aggression from Russia.

Russia’s move this week to withdraw its troops spurred hopes of increased pressure on Syrian President Bashar Assad to negotiate during peace talks.

The Syrian Democratic Forces fighters were killed in clashes with the Sunni militant group in Syria’s northeastern governorate of Al-Hasakah, a U.K-based monitor said.

As a ceasefire takes hold, citizens in Aleppo consider the toll — in deaths and lives forever altered — of five years of fighting.

The deputy head of Russia’s Culture Ministry was reported arrested Tuesday as part of a new investigation into alleged malfeasance.

Major oil producers like Saudi Arabia, Russia, Qatar and Venezuela have proposed freezing their output to January levels, but the global excess is still at least 1 million barrels a day.

Scenes of jubilation Tuesday greeted Russian pilots on their return from Syria in Russia when they arrived at their air bases.

The Islamic State group has been losing its grip on territory and increasingly leaning on child soldiers, a U.S. spokesman said Monday.

The spacecraft, which consists of a lander and an orbiter, is designed to search for methane and its source in Mars' atmosphere.

The surprise move, following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s withdrawal announcement on Monday, comes as Syrian peace talks enter their second day in Geneva.

Mohammad Javad Zarif defended the tests conducted last week, saying that the weapons were just for self-defense.

Earlier reports had suggested Omar al-Shishani was badly wounded after airstrikes hit his convoy near the Syrian town of al-Shaddadi.

President Vladimir Putin’s decision to withdraw his troops may finally let Syrians rebuild their homes and their lives.

State-owned TV and officials portrayed the troop withdrawal as a testament to an effective bombing campaign.

The price of crude fell about 3 percent Monday on fears that a six-week market recovery has gone beyond fundamentals as stockpiles continue to build.

Both Russia and the U.S. have spent millions per day on operations in Syria. But Russia's economy has been less capable of supporting the expense.

Nearly 500,000 people have been killed, and more than half the population of 22 million has been displaced.

The conflict in Syria, which has displaced millions and destabilized the Middle East, began in March 2011 after anti-government protests turned violent.

As the civil war in Syria, which has left more than 250,000 dead, reaches the five-year mark, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday he had achieved his goals and was ready to remove his forces.

Despite the global oversupply, Iran has accelerated production as it seeks to recover the output it lost under Western sanctions.