World News

UPDATED: Russia says it fires warning shots at British destroyer near Crimea, UK denies it

Russia said it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of a British destroyer sailing in the Black Sea off the coast of the Crimea peninsula, which…

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Kremlin says people without vaccine or immunity in Russia will have limited work options

The Kremlin said that people who were not vaccinated against COVID-19 or did not have immunity would be unable to work in all workplaces in Russia and that those people…

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Russia monitoring talk of Turkish military base in Azerbaijan

Moscow is closely monitoring developments around a potential Turkish military base in Azerbaijan, a move that could require Russia to take steps to ensure its own security and interests, the…

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Russia to leave Open Skies arms control treaty on Dec. 18

Russia has notified its partners under in the Open Skies arms control treaty that it will leave the group on Dec. 18, the Russian foreign ministry said. The Kremlin said…

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UPDATED: At least 7 killed in plane crash in Siberia

At least seven parachutists were killed and over a dozen injured after a twin-engine L-410 aircraft crashed in a forest in Russia's Kemerovo region in southwestern Siberia, Russian media reported…

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Kremlin blames ‘nihilism’ as Moscow sees record COVID-19 infections

The Kremlin on Friday blamed a surge in COVID-19 cases on "nihilism" and reluctance to have vaccinations after a record 9,056 new infections in Moscow, mostly with the new Delta…

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Moscow extends coronavirus restrictions until June 29

Russia's capital will extend COVID-19 restrictions imposed this week until June 29, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Friday, after a fresh spike in daily cases. The measures include bans on…

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Kremlin says NATO membership for Ukraine would be ‘red line’

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Ukrainian membership of NATO would be a "red line" for Moscow and that it was worried by talk that Kyiv may one day be…

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UPDATE – Biden calls for “basic rules of the road” at summit with Putin

U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin decided at a "pragmatic" first summit on Wednesday to hold arms control and cyber-security talks and return their respective ambassadors, while…

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U.S.-Russia summit: The American presidents Putin has confronted

Russia's Vladimir Putin has been in power as president or prime minister since 1999 and has held talks with and seen four U.S. presidents leave office. Joe Biden, whom the…

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UPDATED: Russian President Putin says hopes meeting with U.S. Biden will be productive

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he hoped a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in Geneva would be productive. "Mr President, I'd like to thank you for your…

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Moscow authorities make COVID-19 vaccination compulsory for some workers

Authorities in Moscow will make vaccination against COVID-19 compulsory for 60% of employees in the services sector, a decree published on Wednesday showed, as coronavirus cases continued to tick up…

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Russia removes Belarus opposition politician Tsikhanouskaya from wanted list – RIA

Russian police have removed Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya from their wanted list at the initative of the Belarusian authorities, the RIA news agency reported on Tuesday. Tsikhanouskaya fled into exile last…

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Russia reports 13,721 daily COVID-19 cases, 371 deaths

Russia reported 13,721 new coronavirus cases, including 6,590 in the capital, on Monday, after the number of daily infections rose sharply last week and Moscow declared a four-day public holiday…

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Russia’s new COVID-19 cases rise to highest since February

Russia on Sunday reported 14,723 new COVID-19 cases, including 7,704 in Moscow, the largest one-day national caseload since Feb. 13. The number of new infections in Moscow was the most…

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Russia tests COVID-19 vaccine as nasal spray for children

Russia has tested a nasal spray form of its COVID-19 vaccine that is suitable for children aged 8-12, and plans to launch the new product in September, the scientist who…

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Moscow residents told to stay off work to combat COVID-19

Moscow's mayor has effectively declared a public holiday for all of next week to combat a surge in COVID-19 cases. Sergei Sobyanin announced the decision on Saturday, saying it would…

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Putin says relations with U.S. at lowest point in years

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with NBC News ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden next week, said U.S.-Russia relations are at their lowest point in…

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Russia’s new COVID-19 cases at fresh three-month high

Russia on Friday reported 12,505 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, its highest number of daily infections since late February, taking the national tally to 5,180,454 since the…

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Putin to arrive in Geneva on June 16 for Biden summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in Geneva on June 16, the same day he is set to meet U.S. President Joe Biden there, Russia's TASS news agency quoted his…

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Condemnation after groups linked to Navalny declared ‘extremist’ by Russian court

A Russian court on Wednesday outlawed groups linked to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny after declaring them “extremist”, a move that bans his allies from elections and will further strain…

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Russia’s new COVID-19 cases reach three-month high

Russia on Wednesday reported 10,407 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, its highest number of daily infections since early March, taking the national tally to 5,156,250 since the…

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Aeroflot restores Soviet-era routes at home amid closed borders -CEO

Russia's top airline Aeroflot is restoring Soviet-era routes hoping that direct flights which bypass traditional hubs help increase traffic amid closed borders, CEO Mikhail Poluboyarinov told Reuters. Like many other…

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Kremlin critic Navalny is returned to prison facility after hunger strike – TASS

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has been returned to the original correctional facility where he had been serving out a sentence after he recovered from a hunger strike at a hospital in a different prison, the TASS news agency reported on Monday. The 45-year-old opposition politician had…

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Putin signs law taking Russia out of Open Skies arms control treaty

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Monday that formalises Russia’s exit from the Open Skies arms control treaty, a pact that allows unarmed surveillance flights over member countries.…

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Russia reports 9,145 new COVID-19 cases, 399 deaths

Russia reported 9,145 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, including 2,897 in Moscow, taking the official national tally since the pandemic began to 5,117,274. The government coronavirus task force said 399…

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Putin plans to offer vaccinations to visiting foreigners for a fee

Russia may provide coronavirus vaccinations for a fee to foreigners who travel to the country, President Vladimir Putin told an economic forum, as Moscow seeks to enhance its global reputation…

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Russian charter flights to Egypt to resume in coming days

Russian charter flights to Egyptian resorts are expected to resume in the coming days after a years-long hiatus, the Interfax news agency cited the boss of Aeroflot as saying on…

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Russia’s RDIF says no bad side-effects found in trials on combined AstraZeneca/Sputnik V vaccine

No negative side-effects were detected during trials of a combined COVID-19 vaccine using AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s shots and Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, the Interfax news agency reported. Russia may…

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Russia to quit accord that eased Cold War travel curbs for U.S. diplomats

Russia plans to announce its withdrawal soon from a post-Cold War agreement with the United States that eased restrictions on diplomats travelling around each other’s countries, Russia’s deputy foreign minister…

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Russia to remove dollar assets from National Wealth Fund

Russia will completely remove U.S. dollar assets from its National Wealth Fund (NWF), while increasing the share of the euro, Chinese yuan and gold, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on…

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Russia says Nord Stream 2 pipeline almost complete, 100 km left

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea is almost complete with just 100 kilometres (62 miles) left to build, TASS news agency quoted Russian deputy prime minister…

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Germany denies incoming flights from Russia

Air traffic between Germany and Russia was disrupted on Wednesday due to a dispute over flight approvals. The responsible Russian authority did not give timely approval for June flights by…

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Russia’s CoviVac more than 80% effective against COVID-19

Russia's third vaccine against COVID-19, CoviVac, is more than 80% effective according to preliminary data, the Interfax news agency cited the vaccine's developer as saying on Wednesday. The Chumakov Centre…

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‘Together Again’: ‘Russian Davos’ to go ahead in person with Putin, despite pandemic

Thousands of officials and executives will gather in person in St Petersburg this week - and President Vladimir Putin will give a speech - as the annual economic forum Moscow…

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Russia reports 8,475 COVID-19 cases, 339 deaths

Russia on Monday reported 8,475 COVID-19 cases, including 2,614 in Moscow, pushing the national infection tally to 5,071,917 since the pandemic began. The government coronavirus task force said that 339…

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UPDATED: Russia to deploy military units near border, tells U.S. to expect ‘uncomfortable’ signals

Russia said on Monday it would send what it described as 'uncomfortable' signals to the United States ahead of a summit between the two countries' leaders next month and announced…

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Russia vows to defend Belarus if EU sanctions Minsk

Russia will defend Belarus and help it if the European Union imposes economic sanctions on Minsk over the grounding of a plane and arrest of a dissident blogger, the RIA…

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Hollywood actor Seagal joins pro-Kremlin party

Hollywood actor Steven Seagal, a long-time admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has joined a pro-Kremlin party, the the party said on Sunday. Seagal received a party membership card of…

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Russia reports highest number of daily COVID-19 cases since March

Russia reported 9,694 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the highest number since the end of March, which took the national tally to 5,063,442 infections. The Russian coronavirus task force said…

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UPDATE – Russia approves Air France, Lufthansa routes avoiding Belarus

Air France and Lufthansa have received approval from Russia for flight routes to the country that avoid Belarusian airspace, the airlines said on Saturday. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency…

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Putin offers Belarus leader support against West in Ryanair plane standoff

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday offered his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko support in his standoff with the West over his handling of the grounding of a passenger jet and the arrest of a dissident blogger. The West has accused Belarus of piracy…

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Russia to supply UNICEF with Sputnik V doses for 110 million people

Russia has signed an agreement to supply the U.N. children’s fund UNICEF with enough doses of its Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for 110 million people, the Russian Direct Investment Fund…

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UPDATED: Russia to allow European flights to bypass Belarus, Ukraine to ban Belarus airlines from its airspace

Russia will allow European flights to arrive and depart via routes that bypass Belarusian airspace, the RBC news outlet reported late on Thursday, despite Moscow previously denying access to two…

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Russia refuses granting European planes to land in Moscow

Russia has retaliated against a ban on carriers entering Belarus’s airspace by refusing to grant permission to European planes flying to Moscow. The Guardian reports what is "an apparent escalation…

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Russia wants ban on D&G same-sex kiss adverts

A Russian prosecutor has called for Dolce & Gabbana Instagram advertisements showing same-sex couples kissing to be banned in the country following a lawmaker's complaint about them, the prosecutor's office said on Monday. Mikhail…

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UPDATED: Biden, Putin to meet on June 16

U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Geneva on June 16, the White House and the Kremlin said amid sharp disputes over election interference, cyberattacks,…

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Russia reports 8,406 new COVID-19 cases, 319 deaths

Russia on Monday reported 8,406 new COVID-19 cases in the previous 24 hours, including 2,487 in Moscow, pushing the national infection tally to 5,009,911 since the pandemic began. The government…

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UPDATED: Russia calls West’s reaction to Belarus plane incident ‘shocking’, France discussing suspension of Belarus transport links

Russia on Monday accused the West of hypocrisy in its outraged response to the diversion of an airliner to the Belarusian capital Minsk. Belarusian authorities scrambled a fighter jet and…

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