Page 54 - Russia

Russian lawmakers approve Bill that may remove terrorist tag for Taliban

The lower house of Russia's parliament on Tuesday approved a bill that would set the stage for Moscow to remove the designation of the Taliban in Afghanistan as a terrorist group. Under the bill passed by the State Duma in the second and third readings, the official terrorist designation of an organisation could be suspended by a court. The legislation still needs to be approved by the upper house and signed by President Vladimir Putin to become law. The Taliban were put on Russia's list of terrorist organisations in 2003, and any contact with such groups is punishable under Russian law. At the same time, Taliban delegations attended various forums hosted by Moscow. Russian officials have shrugged off questions about the seeming contradiction by emphasising the need to engage the Taliban to help stabilise Afghanistan. The Soviet Union fought a 10-year war in Afghanistan that ended with Moscow withdrawing its troops in 1989. Since then, Moscow has made a diplomatic comeback as a pow

Bomb hidden in electric scooter kills senior Russian nuclear forces general

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the chief of Russia's Troops of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence, was killed on Tuesday outside a Moscow apartment building

Bomb kills chief of Russian nuclear protection forces in Moscow; probe on

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who is chief of Russia's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, was killed outside an apartment building

US sanctions target North Korea and Russia over military cooperation

The sanctions, which list North Korean banks, generals and other officials, as well as Russian oil shipping companies, are the latest US measure aimed at disrupting North Korea's support to Russia

Some North Korean troops killed fighting alongside Russia, say Ukraine, US

Ukraine's military intelligence agency and the Pentagon said Monday that some North Korean troops have been killed during combat against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk border region. These are the first reported casualties since the US and Ukraine announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. Ukraine's military intelligence agency said around 30 North Korean troops were killed or wounded during battle with the Ukrainian army over the weekend. The casualties occurred around three villages in Kursk, where Russia has for four months been trying to quash a Ukrainian incursion, the agency, known by its acronym GUR, said in a public post on the Telegram messaging app. At least three North Korean servicemen went missing around another Kursk village, GUR said. Maj Gen Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters that some North Korean troops have died in combat in Kursk but did not have a specific number of those kill

EU seeks assurances from Syria's leaders in exchange for dropping sanctions

European Union nations on Monday set out conditions for lifting sanctions on Syria and kick-starting aid to the conflict-ravaged country amid uncertainty about its new leaders' intentions just over a week after they seized power. At a meeting in Brussels, the EU's top diplomats said they want guarantees from members of Syria's interim government that they are preparing for a peaceful political future involving all minority groups, one in which extremism and former allies Russia and Iran have no place. Since Damascus fell on Dec 8 and leader Bashar Assad fled to Moscow, Syria's transition has been surprisingly smooth. Few reports have surfaced of reprisals, revenge killings or sectarian violence. Most looting or destruction has been quickly contained. But the new leadership has yet to lay out a clear vision of how Syria will be governed. The interim government was set up by former opposition forces led by the Islamic militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, a former al-Qaida ...

EU imposes new sanctions on Russia, illicit oil shipments, targets China

The EU began adding ships this year in response to an increase in the number of vessels transporting cargoes that are not regulated or insured by conventional Western providers. The listing included

Damaged Russian ships likely spilled 3,700 tonnes of oil in Kerch Strait

An estimated 3,700 tons of low-grade fuel oil has spilled into the Kerch Strait after two Russian ships were seriously damaged by stormy weather, Russian state media reported Monday. The two ships, the Volgoneft 239 and the Volgoneft 212, were transporting roughly 9,200 tons of mazut, a heavy, low-quality oil product. Social media footage from the scene showed a black liquid rising among the waves. Preliminary estimates say that 3,700 tons of mazut leaked into the sea, Russian state news outlet RIA Novosti reported, citing an unnamed source. In a statement, the leader of Russia's nearby Krasnodar region, Gov. Veniamin Kondratev, said that the oil had not yet reached the shore. An emergency rescue operation was launched Sunday after the Volgoneft-212 tanker ran aground and had its bow torn away in storm conditions, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry said. One sailor in the 13-man crew died, officials said. A second tanker, the Volgoneft-239, was also left damaged and adrift with

EU slaps sanctions on dozens more Russian officials; targets oil, gas fleet

The European Union on Monday imposed fresh sanctions on dozens of officials linked to Russia's war on Ukraine, including two top North Korean defence officials, a military unit blamed for an attack on a Kyiv children's hospital and the heads of companies in the energy sector. Russia's vast shadow fleet of ships that Moscow is exploiting to skirt restrictions on transporting oil and gas, or carrying stolen Ukrainian grain, was also targeted. Fifty-two vessels were added to a growing list of ships banned from European ports and deprived of services. This package of sanctions is part of our response to weaken Russia's war machine and those who are enabling this war, also including Chinese companies, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. We will stand by the Ukrainian people on all fronts: humanitarian, economic, political, diplomatic and military. In all, EU foreign ministers froze the assets of 54 people and 30 entities, which are usually companies, ministries, government agencies

'Wanted to keep fighting', says Syria's Assad in 1st statement after ouster

Ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad says he had no plans to leave the country after the fall of Damascus a week ago but the Russian military evacuated him after their base in western Syria came under attack. The comments are the first by Assad since he was overthrown by insurgent groups. Assad said in a statement on his Facebook page that he left Damascus on the morning of Dec 8, hours after insurgents stormed the capital. He said he left in coordination with Russian allies to the Russian base in the coastal province of Latakia, where he planned to keep fighting. Assad said that after the Russian base came under attack by drones, the Russians decided to move him on the night of Dec 8 to Russia. I did not leave the country as part of a plan as it was reported earlier, Assad said.

Oil prices decline as weaker Chinese retail sales pressure demand

The Fed is expected to cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point at its Dec. 17-18 meeting, which will also provide an updated look at how much further Fed officials think they will reduce

Explained: What is DKRO, the covert and most-feared spy agency of Russia?

With around 2,000 elite officers, the DKRO enjoys generous pay, bonuses, and perks like low-cost mortgages, ensuring their loyalty to the Kremlin

Russia plans visa-free entry for Indians from 2025, joining 62 countries

Visa-free travel allows individuals to enter a country without obtaining a visa beforehand

Ukraine's drone hits Chechnya as Kyiv retaliates after Moscow attack

A Ukrainian drone struck a campus belonging to Russia's National Guard Sunday in the Russian region of Chechnya, as Kyiv continues to strike back after a mass air attack from Moscow. Footage on social media showed a drone swooping low over the Chechen capital, Grozny, some 800 km southeast of the front line in Ukraine, before exploding. No casualties were reported. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov confirmed that the drone had hit a site belonging to the Akhmat Grozny riot police battalion, and said that two other drones had been shot down by air defences. Kadyrov pledged revenge on Ukrainian forces and said he had ordered a missile strike against military facilities in Kharkiv in retaliation for the attack. The claim could not be independently verified. Russia's Defence Ministry said Sunday that it had shot down 15 Ukrainian drones overnight in the country's Kursk and Belgorod regions, as well as over the Black Sea. It did not mention the Grozny attack. An official in Ukraine's secur

News updates: There will be no tinkering with the current reservation system, says Amit Shah

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Highlights: Reliance Industries buys 74% stake in Navi Mumbai IIA for $192 mn

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Deception, despair marked Syrian Prez Assad's final hours before fleeing

Assad told his presidential office manager on Saturday when he finished work he was going home but instead headed to the airport, according to an aide in his inner circle

Moldova declares energy state of emergency fearing Russian gas shortage

Moldova's parliament on Friday voted in favour of imposing a state of emergency in the energy sector over fears that Russia could leave the European Union candidate country without sufficient natural gas supplies this winter. A majority in Moldova's 101-seat legislature voted to pass the state of emergency, which will start on December 16 and last 60 days. A special commission will urgently adopt measures to manage imminent risks if Moscow fails to supply gas to the Kuciurgan power plant, the country's largest, which is situated in the separatist pro-Russian Transnistria region. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said his country faces an exceptional situation in which Moscow could deliberately weaponise energy flows to destabilise the country, and potentially leave people in the middle of winter without heat and electricity. Russian energy giant Gazprom supplies the gas-operated Kuciurgan plant, which generates electricity that powers a significant portion of Moldova proper. The

Russia attacks Ukrainian infrastructure by firing cruise missiles, drones

Russia launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine on Friday, firing 93 cruise and ballistic missiles and almost 200 drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, describing it as one of the heaviest bombardments of the country's energy sector since Russia's full-scale invasion almost three years ago. Ukrainian defences shot down 81 missiles, including 11 cruise missiles that were intercepted by F-16 warplanes provided by Western allies earlier this year, Zelenskyy said. Russia is terrorising millions of people with such assaults, he said on his Telegram channel, renewing his plea for international unity against Russian President Vladimir Putin. A strong reaction from the world is needed: a massive strike a massive reaction. This is the only way to stop terror, Zelenskyy said. But uncertainty surrounds how the war might unfold next year. President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month, has vowed to end the war and has thrown into doubt whether vital US milit

Russia targets Ukrainian infra with massive attack of missiles, drones

Russia on Friday launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine, involving dozens of cruise missiles and drones, the latest such strike aimed at crippling the country's electricity system. The Russian military targeted the Ukrainian power grid, energy minister Herman Halushchenko wrote on his Facebook page. The enemy continues its terror, he said. Halushchenko said energy workers do everything necessary to minimize negative consequences for the energy system, promising to release more details on damages once the security situation allows it. Ukraine's air force reported multiple strike drones launched at Ukraine overnight followed by swarms of cruise missiles in the country's air space. It said Russia also used air-launched ballistic Kinzhal missiles against Ukraine's western regions. Friday's attack is the latest in a series of such raids that has heightened fears that the Kremlin aims to destroy the country's power generation capacity as the winter sets in. Since launching its