IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Russia

Moscow calls charge 'groundless'

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, said on Thursday that accusations by Turkey that Moscow allegedly conducted "ethnic cleansing" in Syria are "groundless". Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu accused Russia on Wednesday of attempted "ethnic cleansing" in northern Syria, saying Moscow was trying to drive out the local Turkmen and Sunni Muslim populations to protect its military interests in the region.