Page 90 - Russia

Fumio Kishida to address Congress amid scepticism about US role abroad

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will head to Capitol Hill on Thursday for an address to US lawmakers meant to underscore the importance of keeping a strong partnership between the two countries at a time of tension in the Asia-Pacific and scepticism in Congress about US involvement abroad. Kishida was in Washington this week visiting President Joe Biden as the White House completed hosting each leader of the Quad an informal partnership between the US Japan, Australia and India that is seen as important to countering China's growing military strength in the region. Kishida is expected to talk about the future of the relationship between Japan and the US. He will be addressing many Republicans who have pushed for the US to take a less active role in global affairs as they follow the America First" ethos of Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. The Republican-controlled House has sat for months on a USD 95 billion package that would send wartime fundin

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Russia looking at relaxing environmental norms to boost gasoline supply

According to sources' calculations, it could bring in additional 10%, or between 300,000 metric tons and 350,000 tons a month, of gasoline to the domestic market, enough to meet rising seasonal demand

Floods swamp settlements in Russia, over 96K evacuated in Kazakhstan

The water level in the Ural is rising, said Alexei Kudinov, the first deputy head of Orenburg. Reuters footage showed swathes of areas near the city under water

Xi Jinping meets with Sergey Lavrov in show of support against West

Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Tuesday in a sign of mutual support and shared opposition to Western democracies amid Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. We would like to express our highest appreciation and admiration for the successes that you have achieved over the years and, above all, over the last decade under your leadership," Lavrov told Xi, according to Russian media. "We are sincerely pleased with these successes, since these are the successes of friends, although not everyone in the world shares this attitude and are trying in every possible way to restrain the development of China - in fact just like the development of Russia, Lavrov said. Russia's growing economic and diplomatic isolation has made it increasingly reliant on China, its former rival for leadership of the Communist bloc during the Cold War. In past decades, the two have closely aligned their foreign policies, held joint military exercises and sought to rally non-aligned

Russia court adds 2 more years to prison term of Navalny's associate

A court in Russia on Tuesday added two more years to a 7 1/2 year prison term of a former associate of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the latest step in the Kremlin's yearslong crackdown on dissent. Lilia Chanysheva, who used to head Navalny's office in the Russian region of Bashkortostan, was convicted on extremism charges, and Bashkortostan's Supreme Court extended her sentence to a total of 9 1/2 years, her lawyer Ramil Gizatullin said on the messaging app Telegram. The hearing took place behind closed doors. The Kremlin's crackdown against opposition activists, independent journalists and government critics has intensified after Russia sent troops into Ukraine more than two years ago. Hundreds have faced criminal charges over protests and remarks condemning the war in Ukraine, and thousands have been fined or briefly jailed. Chanysheva was convicted of calling for extremism, forming an extremist group and founding an organization that violates rights last summer. The ..

Russia, Kazakhstan evacuate over 100,000 people amid worst flood in decades

Downstream, water levels in Orenburg, a city of around 550,000, rose towards the critical level of 9.3 metres as sirens warned major floods were imminent

Ukraine strikes nuclear plant again, says Russia; Kyiv denies the attack

The Kremlin has said the drone attacks on the nuclear plant were carried out by Ukraine and said they were very dangerous with extremely grave potential consequences

Russia, China to maintain fight against terrorism, says Sergei Lavrov

"Our cooperation on counter-terrorism will continue, including within the framework of multilateral institutions," Lavrov said

Anger boils over for lack of help amid record floods in Russia's Urals

With their properties either destroyed or severely damaged, some are unhappy with the compensation offered by authorities

Russian foreign minister Lavrov visits China to push for stronger ties

The two continent-sized authoritarian states, increasingly in dispute with democracies and NATO, seek to gain influence in Africa, the Middle East and South America

Russia declares emergency in flood-hit areas as evacuation efforts continue

Russia's government has declared on Sunday flood-hit areas in the Orenburg region a federal emergency, state media reported. The floods, caused by rising water levels in the Ural River, forced over 4,000 people, including 885 children, to evacuate, the regional government said. State news agency Tass said that a further 2,000 homes were flooded, bringing the total to nearly 6,300 in the region. Russia's Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov arrived in Orsk one of the most hard-hit cities on Sunday to supervise rescue operations. I propose classifying the situation in the Orenburg region as a federal emergency and establishing a federal level of response, the minister said, according to RIA Novosti. Orsk, less than 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) north of the border with Kazakhstan, suffered the brunt of the floods which caused a dam to break on Friday, according to Orsk mayor Vasily Kozupitsa. By Sunday morning, 4,500 residential buildings in the city of 200,000 were floode

Flood waters rise in Russia's Ural mountains, forcing thousands to evacuate

More than 6,100 people have already been evacuated from the city of 230,000, according to local authorities. Fifteen of 40 schools in the school had been flooded

Russia declares ‘federal emergency’ after Europe’s third longest river bursts

Europe's third-longest river burst through a dam on Friday, April 5th, flooding at least 10,000 homes. Torrential rain caused the Ural River, originating in the Ural Mountains and flowing into the Cas

Russia launches 24 attack drones in Ukraine, hits critical infrastructure

Currently, there is a direct threat of air pollution, so it is recommended to stay indoors with closed windows." Officials provided no further details

Russia's foreign minister arrives in China to discuss Ukraine, Asia-Pacific

Hit with sanctions that closed access to Western markets and finances after sending its troops to Ukraine, Russia has since become China's fastest-growing trade partner

Drone attack on Russia's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant increases accident risk

The head of the UN's atomic watchdog agency said Sunday a drone attack on one of six nuclear reactors at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear accident." In a statement on the social media platform X, Rafael Mariano Grossi confirmed at least three direct hits against ZNPP main reactor containment structures took place. This cannot happen, he said. He said it was the first such attack since November 2022, when he set out five basic principles to avoid a serious nuclear accident with radiological consequences. In a separate statement, the IAEA confirmed physical impact of drone attacks at the plant, including at one of its six reactors. One casualty was reported, it said. "Damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident with potential to undermine integrity of the reactor's containment system it added. Officials at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant said that

Russian corp Rosatom says 3 hurt in Ukrainian attack on Zaporizhzhia plant

In a statement on its website, Rosatom said radiation levels at the plant, Europe's largest facility with six reactors, were normal and there was no serious damage

Macron's hawkish commentary on us poses 'serious strategic problem': Russia

Meshkov added that the presence of French soldiers in Ukraine "could pose a threat to themselves" and that a small number of "French mercenaries" had already died in the war

At least eight killed, 10 injured in Russian strikes on Ukraine's Kharkiv

The governor of Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, said that six people were killed in overnight missile attacks on the city of Kharkiv. The death toll increased to eight later