Russia News

15 die in dam collapse at Siberian gold mine

By AFP

Moscow - Fifteen people were killed and another 13 missing after an illegally built dam collapsed at a gold mine in a remote Siberian settlement on Saturday, in the latest deadly accident to hit Russia.

High-profile cases turn spotlight on domestic violence in Russia

By AFP

Moscow - Natalia Tunikova's partner pushed her towards the open balcony in their high-rise Moscow flat, before punching her to the floor. Fearing she would die, she reached for their kitchen table and "grabbed the nearest object". It was a knife.

Oil, diamonds and nuclear power: Russia eyes Africa business

By AFP

Moscow - While Russia has traditionally focused on arms and grain exports to Africa, it is now looking to broaden its activities and influence.

For Russian business, big dreams in Africa

By AFP

Moscow - From diamonds and arms to nuclear power and oil, Russia has major business ambitions in Africa, even if it is coming late to the party.

Protester flees Russia as two others tie the knot in jail

By AFP

Moscow - A protester has fled Russia fearing imprisonment, his lawyer said Thursday, as a jailed demonstrator married a young woman accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

Putin signals Russia's return to Africa with summit

By AFP

Moscow - President Vladimir Putin hosts dozens of African leaders next week as Russia seeks to reassert its influence on the continent and beyond.

Putin talks investments and space in Abu Dhabi

By AFP

Abu Dhabi - Russian President Vladimir Putin signed deals worth over $1.3 billion with the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, wrapping up a tour of the Gulf where he also courted investment in Saudi Arabia.

Russia bids farewell to first man who walked in space

By AFP

Moscow - Hundreds of people including Russian and US astronauts and top officials bid farewell Tuesday to Alexei Leonov, a legendary Soviet cosmonaut who was the first man to perform a spacewalk.

For Syria Kurds, the end of autonomy?

By AFP

Beirut - After years of working towards autonomy, Syria's Kurds have been dropped by their US ally and forced to call in the Damascus regime to stem a six-day Turkish offensive.

Thousands of Ukrainians march against a troop pullback

By AFP

Kiev - Thousands of Ukrainians marched in Kiev on Monday, decrying as "capitulation" a mooted pullback of troops fighting Moscow-backed separatists in the east and calling for victory in the five-year war.

Oil, Iran top agenda as Putin visits Saudi Arabia

By AFP

Apo - Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday, where he was set to seal oil agreements and try to use his influence to defuse tensions boiling in the Gulf.

Russia bombed four Syria hospitals in 12 hours: report

By AFP

Washington - Russian warplanes bombed four hospitals in rebel-held territory in Syria over a period of just 12 hours earlier this year, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

Russia will work with Saudi to stabilise oil market: Putin

By AFP

Moscow - Russia will work with Saudi Arabia against any "attempt to destabilise" the oil market, President Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast Sunday, on the eve of a visit to Riyadh.

First man to conduct spacewalk, Alexei Leonov, dies

By AFP

Moscow - Alexei Leonov, a Soviet-era cosmonaut who was the first man to conduct a spacewalk in 1965, died in Moscow on Friday aged 85 after a long illness.

Ukraine leader says troops must withdraw before Putin summit

By AFP

Kiev - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday threatened to call off a summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin if all sides do not agree on plans to pull out troops from the east.

Ukraine leader says troops must withdraw before Putin summit

By AFP

Kiev - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday threatened to call off a summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin if all sides do not agree on plans to pull out troops from the east.

Russia brands Navalny's opposition group a 'foreign agent'

By AFP

Moscow - Russia on Wednesday upped the pressure on opposition leader Alexei Navalny, declaring his organisation a "foreign agent" that will be subject to increased state monitoring.

Kremlin critic Navalny's group declared 'foreign agent': government

By AFP

Moscow - Russian authorities Wednesday declared the organisation run by opposition leader Alexei Navalny a "foreign agent", the justice ministry said on its website.

Republican-led probe finds Russia helped Trump in 2016

By AFP

Washington - A Senate Republican-led investigation said in a report Tuesday that Russia indeed sought to help President Donald Trump in the 2016 election, contradicting persistent White House claims to the contrary.

Russia bestows medal on US astronaut in failed launch

By AFP

Moscow - Russia has decorated NASA astronaut Nick Hague, who survived an aborted space launch last year, with one of its highest honours, the Order of Courage, a Kremlin decree said on Tuesday.

US to help secure Baltic energy grid against cyber attacks

By AFP

Vilnius - The United States and Baltic states on Sunday agreed to beef up cooperation to protect the Baltic energy grid from cyber attacks as they disconnect from the Russian electricity grid.

Thousands protest Ukraine leader's peace plan

By AFP

Kiev - About 10,000 people including Ukraine's former president Petro Poroshenko gathered in central Kiev on Sunday to protest a plan for broader autonomy for separatist territories ahead of a high-stakes summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Thousands protest Ukraine leader's peace plan

By AFP

Thousands protest Ukraine leader's peace plan

By AFP

Kiev - Thousands of demonstrators gathered in central Kiev on Sunday to protest broader autonomy for separatist territories, part of a plan to end a war with Russian-backed fighters.Protesters chanted "No to surrender!

Pompeo warns of 'Russian bots' and 'Chinese bribes' in the Balkans

By AFP

Ohrid - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned against the "malign" influence of Russian trolls and Chinese investment during a brief tour through the Western Balkans on Friday.

Ukraine leader seeks to allay fears over separatist regions

By AFP

Kiev - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday sought to allay fears over the future of war-ravaged separatist-held territories in the east after protests broke out in Kiev.

Russian court blocks major LGBT online groups

By AFP

Moscow - A Russian court has ruled that two popular LGBT networking sites be blocked for disseminating "anti-family values", including a major online group with nearly 200,000 members.

Russian court blocks major LGBT online groups

By AFP

Moscow - A Russian court has ruled that two popular LGBT networking groups be blocked for disseminating "anti-family values", including a major group that has nearly 200,000 members.

Siberian shaman with plan to 'banish Putin' found insane: lawyers

By AFP

Moscow - A Siberian shaman who set off to walk across Russia to drive out President Vladimir Putin, whom he called a demon, has been found mentally unfit to stand trial, defence lawyers said Thursday.

Spokesman defends dishevelled Duterte as 'very hygienic'

By AFP

Moscow - President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman on Thursday defended the Philippine leader as "very hygienic" and nice-smelling after he was mocked on social media for looking dishevelled in a meeting with the Russian prime minister.