Page 34 - Russia

UK court convicts 3 men in Russia-linked arson plot targeting Ukraine aid

A British jury convicted three men on Tuesday of arson in an attack on an east London warehouse that was storing equipment destined for Ukraine. Authorities said Russian intelligence was behind the plot. Prosecutors said the March 20, 2024, attack was planned by agents of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, acting on behalf of Russian military intelligence. The British government has deemed Wagner a terrorist organisation. The prosecution said Wagner used British intermediaries to recruit the men to target an industrial unit in Leyton, east London, where generators and StarLink satellite equipment bound for Ukraine were being stored. The StarLinks are frequently used by Ukraine's military in fending off Russia's invasion. Authorities said the arson was part of a campaign of disruption across Europe that Western officials blame on Moscow and its proxies. A jury at London's Central Criminal Court found Jakeem Rose, 23; Ugnius Asmena, 20; and Nii Mensah, 23 guilty of aggravated arson. A

Appearance of Nato bases in Ukraine an immediate threat to Russia: Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said Nato's efforts to turn Ukraine into a strategic military foothold left Moscow with no choice but to launch its 2022 military operation

No country should use critical minerals as a weapon: PM Modi at Brics

PM Modi urges BRICS nations to ensure no misuse of critical minerals and highlights AI concerns. India to host the AI Impact Summit next year and the 18th BRICS Summit in 2026

Putin calls for expanding use of national currencies among Brics nations

Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed on the advantages of creating an independent settlement and depository system within Brics

FM Sitharaman discusses bilateral ties with Russian, Chinese counterparts

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held a series of bilateral meetings, including with Russian and Chinese counterparts, and discussed issues of bilateral cooperation and interests. These meetings were held on the sidelines of the BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Rio de Janeiro. During a meeting with Anton Siluanov, Finance Minister of Russia, Sitharaman expressed gratitude for the support extended by President Vladimir Putin after the Pahalgam terror attack, the finance ministry said in a post on X. The two leaders discussed India-Russia long-standing partnership. The finance minister observed that India and Russia enjoy exemplary levels of mutual trust and understanding and our Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership remains resilient and steadfast, it said. The two sides also discussed issues of bilateral cooperation, including cooperation in the financial sector, along with matters related to NDB. In another bilateral meeting with her Chines

Active negotiations under way with over a dozen countries to finalise BIT

India is actively negotiating bilateral investment treaties (BITs) with over a dozen countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel, Oman, European Union, Switzerland, Russia, and Australia, a government official said. Besides these nations, talks are underway with Tajikistan, Cambodia, Uruguay, Maldives, Switzerland, and Kuwait. These investment treaties help in protecting and promoting investments in each other's countries. With India approaching to become the third-largest economy and a hub for global manufacturing, the government is taking a series of measures to further improve its investment regime that encourages investors. "It is expected that in the next 3-6 months, BIT with some of these countries will be finalised and announced," the official added. The government in the last Budget has announced revamping the current model Bilateral Investment Treaty to make it more investor-friendly and attract foreign players. The country signed BITs with two countries in 2024. La

Russia launches largest missile, drone barrage since war in Ukraine began

Waves of drones and missiles targeted Kyiv overnight in the largest aerial assault since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began more than three years ago, officials said Friday, amid a renewed Russian push to capture more of its neighbour's land. Hours after the barrage that killed one person and wounded at least 26 others, including a child, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a very important and productive phone call with US President Donald Trump. The two leaders discussed how Ukrainian air defences might be strengthened, possible joint weapons production between the US and Ukraine, and broader US-led efforts to end the war with Russia, according to a statement by Zelenksyy. The US has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defense missiles. Ukraine's main European backers are considering how they can help pick up the slack. Zelenskyy says plans are afoot to build up Ukraine's domestic arms industry, but scaling up will take time. Th

BEML secures $6.23 million export orders from Russia, Uzbekistan

State-owned BEML on Friday said it has secured two export orders worth USD 6.23 million for supply of heavy-duty bulldozers and motor graders to Russia and Uzbekistan. The company has secured two distinct orders, including one from a CIS nation for the supply of 10 units of its heavy-duty bulldozers, specially engineered to perform in extreme cold climates with temperatures plunging as low as -50C. The second, maiden-order from Uzbekistan, includes the supply of one unit of the high-performance motor grader, essential for infrastructure development and road maintenance within mining operations. With Uzbekistan becoming the 73rd nation to be added to BEML's global exports portfolio, this development reinforces the company's expanding international reach and its credibility as a preferred partner for advanced, mission-critical equipment. The latest order strengthens BEML's presence in the resource-rich Russian and CIS mining markets, known for their complex terrain and high demand fo

Zelenskyy, Trump talk Patriot missile deal, defence against Russia

He added in his account on Telegram that he discussed joint defence production, as well as joint purchases and investments with the US leader

Pak, Russia to expand road, rail connectivity for access to warm waters

Pakistan and Russia have agreed to collaborate on establishing a robust rail and road network to link the South Asian country with Central Asia and Russia, providing landlocked states direct access to warm waters, a media report said on Friday. Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan and Russian Deputy Minister of Transport Andrey Sergeyevich Nikitin, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial conference in Tianjin, China, agreed to accelerate infrastructure development across the region to facilitate trade and economic integration. The initiative aims to transform Pakistan into a strategic transit hub by enhancing trade corridors and logistical routes extending to Russia and Central Asia, Geo News reported. Highlighting Pakistan's ongoing modernisation efforts, Khan said the country was digitising its transport infrastructure, introducing barrier-free motorways, mandatory e-tagging, and comprehensive CCTV surveillance. He said the refo

Russia hits Kyiv in biggest drone, missile attack since Ukraine war began

Waves of drone and missile attacks targeted Kyiv overnight into Friday in the largest aerial attack since Russia's war in Ukraine began, injuring 23 people and inflicting damage across multiple districts of the capital. Russia launched 550 drones and missiles across Ukraine overnight, the country's air force said. The majority were Shahed drones, while Russia used 11 missiles in the attack. Throughout the night, Associated Press journalists in Kyiv heard the constant buzzing of drones overhead and the sound of explosions and intense machine gun fire as Ukrainian forces tried to intercept the aerial assault. Kyiv was the primary target of the attack. At least 23 people were injured, with 14 hospitalised, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Ukrainian air defences shot down 270 targets, including two cruise missiles. Another 208 targets were lost from radar and presumed jammed. Russia successfully hit eight locations with nine missiles and 63 drones. Debris from intercepted drones f

Russia becomes 1st country to recognise Taliban's rule in Afghanistan

Russia on Thursday became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban's government in Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021, after Moscow removed the group from its list of outlawed organisations. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it had received credentials from Afghanistan's newly appointed Ambassador Gul Hassan Hassan. The official recognition of the Afghan government will foster productive bilateral cooperation, the ministry said in a statement. Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry called it a historic step, and quoted Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as welcoming the decision as "a good example for other countries. The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces. Since then, they have sought international recognition while also enforcing their strict interpretation of Islamic law. While no country had formally recognised the Taliban administration until now, the group had engaged in high-level tal

New CIA report slams investigation into Russia's support for Trump in 2016

A declassified CIA memo released Wednesday challenges the work intelligence agencies did to conclude that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election because it wanted Republican Donald Trump to win. The memo was written on the orders of CIA Director John Ratcliffe, a Trump loyalist who spoke out against the Russia investigation as a member of Congress. It finds fault with a 2017 intelligence assessment that concluded the Russian government, at the direction of President Vladimir Putin, waged a covert influence campaign to help Trump win. It does not address that multiple investigations since then, including from the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee in 2020, reached the same conclusion about Russia's influence and motives. The eight-page document is part of an ongoing effort by Trump and close allies who now lead key government agencies to revisit the history of a long-concluded Russia investigation, which resulted in criminal indictments and shadowed most of hi

Highlights: 'Tughlaqi farman', says Atishi on Delhi's fuel ban on old vehicles

Highlights: Catch all the news developments from around the world here

Lack of new US sanctions allows Russia to replenish its war chest

President Trump has issued no new restrictions on Russia this year, in effect allowing Moscow to acquire the money and materials it needs in its conflict with Ukraine

China confirms President Xi will miss Brics summit, Premier Li to attend

China on Wednesday said Premier Li Qiang will attend the BRICS summit in Brazil later this week, confirming reports that President Xi Jinping will skip the meeting of the emerging economies for the first time since he took over power 12 years ago. Li will attend the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 5 to 8 upon invitation, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here. She, however, parried a question on why Xi, who never missed a BRICS summit during his 12-year tenure in power, decided to skip the event. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the Rio summit. BRICS consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa has been expanded with five additional members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The BRICS summit at Kazan in Russia last year became significant as both Modi and Xi met there, breaking the four-year deadlock over the frozen bilateral ties due to the standoff at eastern Ladakh. After their meeting, bot

US, Indo-Pacific partners agree to strengthen maritime cooperation

The United States. Australia, India and Japan have agreed to expand their cooperation on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and further collaborate on supplies of critical minerals and rare earths that are key components of high-tech production. The foreign ministers of the four countries, known as the "Quad", met in Washington on Tuesday as the Trump administration seeks to expand US influence in the Indo-Pacific to compete with a rising China amid tensions with partners over trade and defense issues. In a joint meeting with his three colleagues, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Quad must be a vehicle for action that goes beyond statements of intent and stressed that commerce and trade will be critical to ensuring the group's relevance in the future. To that end, the four announced in a statement the creation of a Quad Critical Minerals Initiative that aims to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating on securing and diversifying critical ...

US halts weapon supplies pledged to Ukraine after Pentagon review

The US is halting some shipments of weapons to Ukraine amid concerns that its own stockpiles have declined too much, officials said on Tuesday, a setback for the European country as it tries to fend off escalating attacks from Russia. Certain munitions were previously promised to Ukraine under the previous Biden administration to aid its defences during the more than three-year-old war. The pause reflects a new set of priorities under President Donald Trump and came after Defence Department officials scrutinised current US stockpiles and raised concerns. This decision was made to put America's interests first following a review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned -- just ask Iran. That was a reference to Trump recently ordering US missile strikes against nuclear sites in Iran. Pentagon stocks of some weapons

Russia not delaying Ukraine peace talks, says Kremlin after US claims

Asked about the remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia was grateful to Trump's team for helping to facilitate talks but that Moscow was not stalling the talks

German foreign minister visits Ukraine, pledges continued support

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Monday, in a show of continuing support for Ukraine's fight to repel Russia's invasion as US-led international peace efforts fail to make progress. Wadephul was due to meet with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. Wadephul said in a statement that Germany will help Ukraine continue to defend itself successfully with modern air defence and other weapons, with humanitarian and economic aid". Germany has been Ukraine's second-largest military backer after the United States, whose continuing support is in doubt. However, Berlin has balked at granting Zelenskyy's request to provide Ukraine with powerful German- and Swedish-made Taurus long-range missiles. That's due to fears that such a move could enrage the Kremlin and end up drawing NATO into Europe's biggest conflict since World War II. Instead, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged in May to help Ukraine