US Secretary of State John Kerry hinted Monday at a possible way forward in another of the world's "frozen conflicts," saying Washington still aimed to help end the Nagorny-Karabakh dispute.
The European Union and Russia kick off a two-day summit on Monday overshadowed by rows over Brussels' decision to lift its arms embargo on the Syrian rebels and resolve to loosen Moscow's grip on EU natural gas supplies.
Russia's ambitious smoking ban, which aims to cut the number of smokers in half and improve public health, went into effect Saturday amid doubts that its measures can be fully enforced.
Parts of Kyrgyzstan were under curfew Saturday after clashes between security forces and protesters who want a Canadian-owned gold mine nationalised led the president to declare a state of emergency.
Failure to agree on who will take part in an international conference on the Syria could thwart hopes that the make-or-break meeting will be held in June.
An international trio flying in a Russian capsule docked the International Space Station on Wednesday with a busy schedule full of space walks and an encounter with a pioneering US cargo craft.
Japan and Russia on Wednesday signed a deal that will see them jointly explore and develop a potentially lucrative oil and gas field off Russia's Far East coast.
A massive undersea earthquake Friday in Russia's Far East prompted a tsunami warning and was felt in cities including Moscow far to the west, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.
A explosive comparison made by a liberal Russian politician between Stalin's agents and Hitler's secret police has provoked a storm of abusive criticism in Russia that has been tinged by anti-Semitism.
Twin car bombs killed four people and wounded close to 50 Monday in Russia's restive Dagestan region while the Kremlin also announced it had foiled a major attack on Moscow.