Moscow - Whales and orcas captured to perform in aquariums and held in cramped pens since last summer have been released into the wild after involvement by President Vladimir Putin, officials said on Thursday.

Moscow - Russia is withdrawing its military "technicians" from crisis-stricken Venezuela on Wednesday, the Caracas embassy said, as President Vladimir Putin gears up for talks with US leader Donald Trump later this week.

Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister Theresa May will meet in Japan this week for the first time since the row over the killing of a former Russian spy, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

Moscow - A case against three teenage sisters who killed their father after what lawyers say was years of beatings and sexual abuse has sparked protest and highlighted Russia's dire record on domestic violence.

Moscow - The United States on Wednesday formally protested over the arrest in Russia of former US marine Paul Whelan, who has been jailed on charges of espionage since December.

Washington - The world’s experts have come up with interesting, if somewhat predictable, findings that, “The United States is the only superpower, but..." The criteria for the various views, however, is pretty tacky and often dated, and as usual superficial.

Moscow - Russia's government on Saturday banned Georgian airlines from flying into its territory, extending restrictions imposed by President Vladimir Putin as part of growing tensions between Moscow and its ex-Soviet neighbour.

Moscow - Russia's travel industryhit out Saturday at a decision by the Kremlin to suspend flights to Georgia as a politically motivated move that has little to do with safety concerns.

Moscow - President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Friday banning Russian airlines from flying to Georgia, starting in July, after violent clashes in the neighbouring country over a Moscow lawmaker speaking in parliament in Tbilisi.

Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday the international community had failed to provide any evidence that Moscow was behind the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in which 298 people died.

Moscow - Russian officials said Thursday that scientists have captured a hungry polar bear found roaming the streets of an Arctic city, hundreds of kilometres from its natural habitat, and would take it to a zoo to recover.

Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said any use of force by the US against Iran would lead to disaster as tensions escalate between Washington and Tehran. "The US says it does not rule out the use of force...

Moscow - Russian President Vladimir Putin during his annual marathon phone-in on Thursday claimed kudos for the release of whales held in cramped pens and intended for commercial aquariums.

Moscow - Russians turned to President Vladimir Putin with fears over squeezed incomes and civil liberties during a four-hour annual phone-in Thursday, but the longtime leader insisted a brighter future was ahead.

Moscow - International investigators have charged three Russians and one Ukrainian with murder over the 2014 shooting down of flight MH17 above rebel-held eastern Ukraine in which 298 people were killed.

Sydney - In a move which will reassure nobody, the US today announced the deployment of more troops to the Middle East. The move comes as Iran restarts its uranium enrichment program after the United States pulled out of the international nuclear deal.

Washington - Last weekend, the New York Times broke a story about US cyberattacks on Russia particularly against their electrical grid. The report suggests the US has placed massive malware across vital Russian systems.

Sanktpeterburg - A Russian court on Monday released a local newspaper editor and former lawmaker who had been facing extortion charges, following an outcry from supporters and international organisations.

Moscow - The Kremlin on Sunday warned against "baseless accusations" over last week's attacks in the Gulf of Oman on two oil tankers, blamed by Washington and Riyadh on Iran."Such incidents can undermine the foundations of the world economy.

US and Russian relations have soured in recent years. The Obama administration pared back ties. While Trump appears to be personally friendly to Putin and wanted to improve relations this has not happened even though some consider Trump a Putin stooge.