Page 110 - Russia

Convicted killer of Putin's critic pardoned after fighting against Ukraine

The European Court of Human Rights has condemned Russia for failing to take adequate steps to find those who ordered Politkovskaya's murder, Moscow Times reported

Russian court fines Google for failing to store personal data on its users

A Russian court on Tuesday fined Google for failing to store personal data on its Russian users, the latest in a series of fines on the tech giant amid tensions between Russia and the West over the war in Ukraine. A magistrate at Moscow's Tagansky district court fined Google 15 million rubles (around $164,200) after the IT company repeatedly refused to store personal data on Russian citizens in Russia. Google was previously fined over the same charges in August 2021 and June 2022 under a Russian law that obliges foreign entities to localise the personal data of their Russian users. The US tech giant was also ordered to pay a 3-million-ruble (about $32,800) fine in August for failing to delete allegedly false information about the conflict in Ukraine. However, Russia can do little to collect the fine, as Google's Russia business was effectively shut down last year after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine. The company has said it filed for bankruptcy in Russia after its bank account was

Putin approves new restrictions on media ahead of presidential elections

Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved changes to the law that governs presidential elections putting new restrictions on media coverage, local news agencies reported on Tuesday. The changes come ahead of the election to be held in March in which Putin, who has ruled Russia for the last 24 years, is expected to seek a new six-year term. Putin, 71, has not declared whether he will run, saying he will announce that only after the parliament formally sets the election date. Under the amendments that he approved, only journalists contractually employed by registered media outlets will be allowed to cover election commission meetings, potentially barring freelancers and independent journalists. The changes also include barring any coverage of the commission's actions on military bases or in areas under martial law without prior permission of regional and military authorities. In addition, the changes prohibit campaign activity on blocked resources. Under an intensifying crackdow

S Korea's prez will warn APEC leaders on risks of Russia-N Korea arms deal

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol slammed the purported illicit arms deal between North Korea and Russia, saying he'll emphasize its far-reaching security implications and discuss international response during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco this week. In written responses to questions from The Associated Press ahead of the APEC meeting, Yoon also said that North Korean provocations will invite immediate retaliation by South Korean and U.S. forces. There are concerns that North Korea might miscalculate and make a move against the South while the world is focused on the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. An effective way to prevent North Korea from miscalculating is to demonstrate our robust deterrence capabilities and determination towards North Korea based on the solid (South Korea) -US joint defense posture, Yoon said. North Korea's provocations will not only fail to achieve its intended goal but also result in immediate and strong retaliati

India-Russia discuss joint production of aircraft weapons for IAF: Report

Russia continues to be India's largest arms supplier with its share of Indian defence imports at 45% in 2022, according to this year's report from the SIPRI.

Russia to limit only VPN services which pose a 'threat' to security

Demand for VPN services soared after Russia restricted access to some Western social media after President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine in February 2022

Russia-linked hackers claim responsibility for OpenAI outage this week

The group presents itself as a "hacktivist" gang that is waging attacks out of Africa on behalf of oppressed Muslims worldwide

US Secy of State Blinken visits South Korea; Russia-N Korean ties in focus

Heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, suspected North Korean cooperation with Russia in its war on Ukraine and concerns about China's growing aggressiveness are topping U .S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's agenda as he visits South Korea. Blinken was in Seoul on Thursday for talks with South Korea's leadership following a G7 foreign ministers meeting in Japan on Wednesday in which the group previewed much of what he will discuss. The G7 strongly condemned North Korea's ballistic missile tests as well as its alleged arms transfers to Russia, which are both in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions against the North. Even before Blinken's arrival, North Korea's official news agency, the Korean Central News Agency, condemned the visit as well as one by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who travels to Seoul next week, describing them as warmongers bringing a new war cloud to Asia. Tensions between the Koreas are at their highest point years as the pace of both

Industrial robot in South Korea confuses man with boxes, kills him

The Police are now preparing to launch an investigation into the site's safety managers for possible negligence in duties

Putin calls for closer Russia-China cooperation on military satellites

Russian President Vladimir Putin told a senior Chinese military official Wednesday that Moscow and Beijing should expand their cooperation on military satellites and other prospective defence technologies a statement that signalled increasingly close defence links between the allies. Putin spoke in televised remarks at the start of his meeting with Gen Zhang Youxia, who is China's second-ranking military official and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission. The Russian leader emphasised the importance of developing closer military links, noting that cooperation in high-tech spheres now takes priority. I mean space, including high-orbit assets, and new prospective types of weapons that will ensure strategic security of both Russia and the People's Republic of China, Putin said without elaboration. He emphasised that while Russia and China aren't building any military alliances based on Cold War patterns, their cooperation is a serious factor in stabilizing the international

World on track to produce 110% more fossil fuels by 2030, says report

The report states that annual global coal production is projected to increase by 10 per cent between 2020 and 2030, with a near-term increase in production led by India, Indonesia, and Russia

Nato announces suspension of Cold War-era treaty after Russia's pullout

NATO on Tuesday announced the formal suspension of a key Cold War-era security treaty in response to Russia's pullout from the deal. The alliance said its members who signed the treaty are now freezing their participation in the pact. Most of NATO's 31 allies have signed the Treaty of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which was aimed at preventing Cold War rivals from massing forces at or near mutual borders. It was signed in November 1990, but not fully ratified until two years later. NATO said that a situation whereby Allied State Parties abide by the Treaty, while Russia does not, would be unsustainable. Russia's foreign ministry announced earlier Tuesday that Moscow had finalised its withdrawal. In response, NATO said, allies who had signed intend to suspend the operation of the CFE Treaty for as long as necessary, in accordance with their rights under international law. This is a decision fully supported by all NATO Allies. NATO underlined that its members remain committe

Russia finalises pullout from Cold War-era deal, blames US for its collapse

Russia on Tuesday finalised its pullout from a key Cold War-era security deal, more than eight years after announcing the intention to do so, the Foreign Ministry said. The development came after both houses of the Russian parliament approved a bill proposed by President Vladimir Putin denouncing the Treaty of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. Putin signed it into force in May this year. The treaty aimed at preventing Cold War rivals from massing forces at or near mutual borders was signed in November 1990, but not fully ratified until two years later. It was one of several major Cold War-era treaties involving Russia and the United States that ceased to be in force in recent years. Russia suspended its participation in 2007, and in 2015 announced its intention to completely withdraw from the agreement. In February 2022, Moscow sent hundreds of thousands of Russian troops into the neighbouring Ukraine, which also shares a border with NATO members Poland, Slovakia, Romania and

SAIL to increase coking coal purchases from Russia, expects 4 shipments

Australia accounts for more than half of India's coking coal imports of around 70 million metric tonnes a year. India also imports coking coal from Russia and the United States

Russia says it test-fired Bulava missile from new nuclear submarine

The Russian military on Sunday reported a successful test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to carry nuclear warheads from a new nuclear submarine. The report comes as tensions are soaring between Russia and the West over the fighting in Ukraine. Adding to those tensions, President Vladimir Putin last week signed a bill revoking Russia's ratification of a global nuclear test ban in a move that Moscow said was needed to establish parity with the United States. The Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement that the Imperator Alexander III strategic missile cruiser fired the Bulava missile from an underwater position in Russia's northern White Sea, and hit a target in the far-eastern region of Kamchatka. It wasn't immediately clear from the statement when the test launch occurred. The Imperator Alexander III is one of the new Borei-class nuclear submarines that carry 16 Bulava missiles each and are intended to serve as the core naval component of the nation's

US govt sanctions Russian national for helping elites launder money

Zhdanova also used virtual currency exchanges to help oligarchs who had relocated internationally, it said

Putin signs bill revoking Russia's ratification of nuclear test ban treaty

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a bill revoking Russia's ratification of a global nuclear test ban, a move that Moscow said was needed to establish parity with the United States. Putin has said that rescinding the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, also known as the CTBT, would mirror the stand taken by the U.S., which has signed but not ratified the nuclear test ban. Both houses of the Russian parliament voted last month to revoke Moscow's ratification of the bill. The CTBT, adopted in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, but the treaty was never fully implemented. In addition to the U.S., it has yet to be ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran and Egypt. There are widespread concerns that Russia may resume nuclear tests to try to discourage the West from continuing to offer military support to Ukraine. Many Russian hawks have spoken in favor of a resumption of the tests. U.S. Secretary of State Antony

Russia to face trial in Britain over $60 billion unpaid dues to Yukos Oil

The Wednesday ruling is the latest staging post in a sprawling legal saga that's dragged on for two decades

Putin signs bill revoking ratification of global nuclear test ban treaty

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a bill revoking Russia's ratification of a global nuclear test ban, a move that Moscow said was needed to establish parity with the United States. Putin has said that rescinding the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, also known as the CTBT, would mirror the stand taken by the U.S., which has signed but not ratified the nuclear test ban. Both houses of the Russian parliament voted last month to revoke Moscow's ratification of the bill. The CTBT, adopted in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, but the treaty was never fully implemented. In addition to the U.S., it has yet to be ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran and Egypt. There are widespread concerns that Russia may resume nuclear tests to try to discourage the West from continuing to offer military support to Ukraine. Many Russian hawks have spoken in favour of a resumption of the tests. Putin has noted that some exp

N Korea likely sent missiles, ammunition and shells to Russia: Seoul

North Korea has likely supplied several types of missiles to Russia to support its war in Ukraine, along with its widely reported shipments of ammunition and shells, South Korea's military said Thursday. The assessment was released a day after South Korea's spy service told lawmakers that North Korea recently provided more than a million artillery shells to Russia amid deepening military cooperation between the two countries, both key US adversaries. In a background briefing for local journalists, South Korea's military said that North Korea is suspected of sending an unspecified number of short-range ballistic missiles, anti-tank missiles and portable anti-air missiles to Russia, in addition to rifles, rocket launchers, mortars and shells. The contents of the briefing were shared with The Associated Press. Last week, South Korea, the US and Japan strongly condemned what they call North Korea's supply of munitions and military equipment to Russia, saying that such weapons shipments