The Dispatch

Audio interview with mysterious Maltese professor related to the Trump-Russia scandal

Professor Joseph Mifsud, the mysterious professor at the heart of the Trump-Russia scandal, can be heard talking about his involvement for the first time in a new podcast from The…

Read More Here

Russia to ban foreign information technology companies for national infrastructure

A Russian government agency has proposed banning the use of foreign information technology for critical national infrastructure, a draft government order shows, as Moscow moves to step up its control…

Read More Here

As expected, Azeri ruling party strengthens grip after parliamentary election

Azerbaijan’s ruling party was leading on Monday in a snap parliamentary election called by President Ilham Aliyev to consolidate power and speed economic reforms by replacing the old guard associated…

Read More Here

Barrage of mysterious bomb hoaxes plagues Moscow

People in the Russian capital Moscow are mystified by a flood of bomb hoaxes forcing the evacuation of courts, schools and malls while authorities appear unable to find the culprits…

Read More Here

Azerbaijan holds a snap parliamentary election

Azerbaijan holds a snap parliamentary election on Sunday, seen as the next step by President Ilham Aliyev to consolidate power and create a younger, more dynamic parliament to push forward…

Read More Here

Photo Story: -6 C in St. Petersburg

People walk near the Peter and Paul fortress on a sunny day in central St. Petersburg, Russia. The air temperature dropped to minus six degrees Celsius in Russia's second largest…

Read More Here

Iran will no longer share evidence from Ukraine airliner crash after leaked audio

Another pilot witnessed the moment the plane was hit and alerted the control tower, a leaked recording showed. Ukraine confirmed its authenticity, and now Iran says it no longer wants…

Read More Here

Russia may deport any foreigners found with coronavirus

Foreign citizens could be deported from Russia if they test positive for the coronavirus, the prime minister said, according to country’s media outlets. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said a national plan…

Read More Here

Russia decides to suspend working visas to Chinese citizens, air services due to coronavirus outbreak

The Russian government is going to suspend issuance of work visas to Chinese citizens, Russian Deputy Prime Minister and head of the emergency response headquarters for the prevention of the novel…

Read More Here

Worker dies in Russian sport stadium roof collapse

General view of partially collapsed 'Peterburgsky' Sports and Concert Complex in St.Petersburg, Russia. The roof of the building collapsed during dismantling, killing a worker. The man was one of four…

Read More Here

Turkish foreign minister calls for enlarged NATO, Georgia membership

Turkey’s foreign minister called on Thursday for the enlargement of NATO and the addition of Georgia to the organization. “I don’t understand why we have not invited Georgia or we…

Read More Here

Poland and Russia bicker over WW2

Poland’s president has accused Russia’s Vladimir Putin of spreading a “historical lie” about his country in the run-up to events marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Andrzej…

Read More Here

Putin names new Russian Cabinet

Russian President Vladimir Putin formed his new Cabinet Tuesday, replacing many of its members but keeping his foreign, defense and finance ministers in place. The Cabinet shake-up comes as Putin…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Musical tribute in Ukrainian airports

Musicians from a military orchestra perform in the main terminal of the Boryspil International Airport in Kiev, Ukraine, 20 January 2020. Military orchestras on 20 January will perform at the…

Read More Here

Ukraine president gives PM second chance

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday allowed Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk to keep his job after the leak of an embarrassing audio recording prompted Honcharuk to submit his resignation. In…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Changing of the guard in Moscow

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin (L) and Russian ex- Prime Minister and deputy head of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev (R) attend a meeting with members of Russian government…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Snow in Georgia

A general view of snow-covered trees at Tbilisi National Park, near Tbilisi, Georgia, 17 January 2020. Snow has fallen in the mountain regions of the country. Photo: EPA-EFE/ZURAB KURTSIKIDZE

Read More Here

Ukraine’s Prime Minister resigns

Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk offered his resignation to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday after less than six months in the role. The presidential office responded to the letter, saying they would consider…

Read More Here

Russia’s Prime Minister nominee Mikhail Mishustin approved by State Duma

A screen shows results of vote on a Russian Prime Minister nominee Mikhail Mishustin during a plenary session at the State Duma in Moscow, Russia, 16 January 2020. Russian President…

Read More Here

Vladimir Putin names Mikhail Mishustin as new PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin formally put forward Mikhail Mishustin, the little-known head of Russia's Federal Tax Service, to be Russia's new prime minister, the Kremlin said. Putin submitted his candidacy…

Read More Here

Russian government resigns following President Putin’s State-of-the-Nation Address

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has announced that the government is resigning. The statement came shortly after President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual state-of-the-nation address. Accepting the resignation, Putin asked…

Read More Here

Ukrainian traditional holiday Malanka

Local men wearing bear costumes march during the celebrations of the winter holiday Malanka in the village of Krasnoilsk, western Ukraine, 14 January 2020. 'Malanka' - or 'Old New Year…

Read More Here

Iran plane crash: Missile struck underneath cockpit – Ukraine

Ukraine's top security official, Oleksiy Danilov, has told the BBC that his country's investigators had already gathered evidence that a missile brought down a Ukrainian passenger jet, before Iran changed…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Snow in Moscow

A food delivery man walks past a snowman in a snow-covered park in Moscow, Russia. This year, snow fell unusually late in Moscow. Photo: EPA-EFE/YURI KOCHETKOV

Read More Here

Video shows moment alleged missile strikes Ukrainian aircraft

A video appears to capture the moment a missile struck a Ukrainian passenger plane near Tehran before it crashed, killing all 173 people on board minutes after it took off. The…

Read More Here

Ukraine lists possible theories behind Iran plane crash, including missile strike

A top Ukrainian security official on Thursday set out what he said were the four main theories for why a Ukrainian airliner crashed in Iran the previous day killing 176…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Tributes in Kiev for Flight PS752

Flowers and a toy paper plane are seen in front of the Iranian embassy in a tribute to the airplane crash victims in Kiev, Ukraine. Many families, several young children,…

Read More Here

Turkey and Russia to inaugurate TurkStream pipeline

The Russian and Turkish presidents, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are set to open the TurkStream pipeline on Wednesday. The meeting will take place in Istanbul to inaugurate the…

Read More Here

Names of passengers, crew on board Ukrainian plane that crashed in Iran released

Among the 176 people on board of the Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 that crashed shortly after taking off from the Tehran airport on Jan. 8, were 11 Ukrainian citizens,…

Read More Here

Terror attack, missile hit versions ruled out in Ukrainian air crash

Ukraine's Embassy in Iran has commented on the versions of the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 crash near Tehran airport, saying a terror attack and a missile hit have so…

Read More Here

Ukrainian president says all dead on board airliner that crashed in Iran, reports that black box has been recovered

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that all passengers and crew on board a Ukrainian airliner that crashed in Iran have been killed, citing preliminary information. In a…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Russia prepares for the Russian Orthodox Christmas

People attend festival 'Journey to Christmas' in Moscow, Russia. Russians celebrated New Year's Eve on 31 December but will be celebrating Christmas on the 07 January, according to the Russian…

Read More Here

Iran’s Foreign Minister Zarif in Moscow

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) shake hands during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, 30 December 2019. Zarif is in Moscow on…

Read More Here

Putin thanks Trump for information which thwarted New Year terror attack

Vladimir Putin has thanked Donald Trump for intelligence that helped avert “acts of terrorism” in Russia, the Kremlin has said. The Russian president spoke to his US counterpart on the…

Read More Here

Ukraine, eastern rebels swap prisoners in move to end war

Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine began exchanging prisoners Sunday in a move aimed at ending their 5-year-long war. The move was part of an agreement brokered earlier…

Read More Here

The Year in Pictures – May: Inauguration of Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky.

President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky (C-R) attends his inauguration in Ukrainian parliament in Kiev, Ukraine, 20 May 2019. Zelensky with 73.22 percent of the votes beaten out current President Petro Poroshenko during…

Read More Here

Ukraine, separatists expected to swap prisoners on Sunday

The government in Kiev expects to swap prisoners with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. The exchange was brokered by the Russian and Ukrainian…

Read More Here

Russia to take retaliatory action against British media

Russia will take retaliatory measures against British media operating on Russian territory over what it regards as unfriendly action taken by British authorities against its own journalists, Russian news…

Read More Here

China, Russia, Iran to hold joint naval drills starting Friday

China, Iran and Russia will hold joint naval drills starting on Friday in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman, China’s defence ministry said on Thursday amid heightened tension in…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Alexei Navalny detained in Moscow, Anti-Putin activist Ruslan Shaveddinov forcibly sent to Arctic

Police in Moscow have again detained Alexei Navalny, the most prominent foe of President Vladimir Putin and the governing United Russia party. Navalny has been jailed repeatedly in recent years…

Read More Here

Putin says Russia has vessel to build Nord Stream 2

President Vladimir Putin said Russia has a “pipe-laying vessel” to complete the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany, Kommersant daily reported citing unnamed sources on…

Read More Here

US concerned with Russian mercenaries presence in Libya

The United States is “very concerned” about the intensification of the conflict in Libya, with a rising number of reported Russian mercenaries supporting Khalifa Haftar’s forces on the ground turning…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Christmas decorations in Moscow

An actor during a performance near the Red Square in the Russian capital Moscow which is decorated for the New Year and Christmas holidays. Photo: EPA-EFE/YURI KOCHETKOV

Read More Here

Russia plans ‘sovereign internet’ tests to combat external threats

Russia will carry out tests on Monday on the reliability of its domestic internet infrastructure in the event that the country is disconnected from the worldwide web, the communications ministry…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Christmas atmosphere in full swing in Moscow

Scenes from around the Red Square in the Russian capital as people enjoy the Christmas atmosphere. Photos: EPA-EFE/YURI KOCHETKOV Click on photos to enlarge

Read More Here

Man behind Moscow shooting identified

Russian media have identified the man who opened fire at the Federal Security Service (FSB) headquarters in Moscow as a 39-year-old loner and gun enthusiast. They named him as Yevgeny…

Read More Here

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual news conference in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin answered questions during his annual life-broadcasted news conference with Russian and foreign media at the World Trade Centre in Moscow, Russia, 19 December 2019. A total…

Read More Here

Photo Story: The weather in Moscow

Russian men fish on a pond covered in thin ice, as the temperature rose to plus 2 degrees Celsius in Moscow, Russia. Photo: EPA-EFE/MAXIM SHIPENKOV

Read More Here

Photo Story: Moscow lights up for the holidays

People walk along a seasonally decorated street with huge light sculptures of polar bears installed at the Gorky Park in Moscow, Russia. Russians are preparing to celebrate New Year's Eve…

Read More Here

Turkey agrees to cooperation with Russia to end war in Libya

Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu has disclosed that Ankara had agreed to a Russian proposal on joint work to end the war in Libya. The Turkish minister explained during his participation…

Read More Here

U.S. Senate passes resolution recognizing Armenian genocide, angering Turkey

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution that recognizes as a genocide the mass killings of Armenians a century ago, a historic move that infuriated Turkey and dealt a blow…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Funeral held in Russia of former Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov

Servicemen carry the coffin of former Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov after a funeral ceremony in Christ the Saviour cathedral in Moscow, Russia, 12 December 2019. Yuri Luzhkov was…

Read More Here

Statement by the German Foreign Office on the expulsion from Russia of two German diplomats

The Spokesperson of the Federal Foreign Office issued the following statement on Russia’s announcement today that it will expel two German Embassy staff members: "The German Government has noted…

Read More Here

Reports of fire on Russia’s only aircraft carrier

Russia’s only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, caught fire on Thursday during maintenance work in Russia’s Arctic port in Murmansk, with three people wounded. One source told the TASS news…

Read More Here

Russia expels two German diplomats

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday summoned the German ambassador to announce the expulsion of two diplomats. It comes a week after two Russian officials were told to leave Germany in connection…

Read More Here

Talks in Paris between Ukraine and Russia aim to end eastern conflict

The leaders of Russia and Ukraine will hold their first face-to-face talks in an attempt to tackle five and a half years of conflict in east Ukraine. More than 13,000…

Read More Here

Rally in Minsk against Belarus-Russia deeper integration

Belarusian people hold a placard during a rally against the Belarus-Russia integration program in Minsk, Belarus, 07 December 2019. Belarusian and Russian authorities are expected to sign a new agreement…

Read More Here