Russia

Swedish police raid Swedbank on suspicion of laundering illicit money from Russia

Swedish police on Wednesday raided the headquarters of Swedbank, the latest Scandinavian banking giant to come under suspicion of laundering billions of dollars in illicit funds from Russia. WSJ reports…

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Russian military planes in Venezuela raise suspicions

The media in Venezuela is claiming that two Russian air force planes at Venezuela's main airport landed with a Russian defence official and nearly 100 troops. The two planes left…

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President Trump’s campaign “did not conspire” with Russia during 2016 election, Robert Mueller’s report says (Updated)

President Trump's campaign "did not conspire" with Russia during 2016 election, Robert Mueller's report says. Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election has found no…

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Robert Mueller delivers report on inquiry into Russian election interference to Attorney General

The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has delivered a report on his inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election to Attorney General William P. Barr, according to the…

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Russia commemorates 5th ‘Day of Crimea’s Reunification with Russia’

The Russian president inaugurated two new power stations on Monday, as Russia celebrated the fifth anniversary of its annexation of Crimea. Moscow has funneled significant resources into the peninsula's infrastructure…

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Photo Story – Russians demand change

Woman attends an opposition rally in Moscow, Russia 17 March 2019. The rally is timed to the 28th anniversary of referendum on preservation of the USSR (which took place 17…

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Russia will respond to EU sanctions

Russia will respond to new European Union sanctions, its foreign ministry said on Saturday, without saying what action it would take. The EU on Friday added eight more Russians to…

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EU, US and Canada announce new sanctions against Russia

EU, US and Canada announced new sanctions targeting individuals and companies. The penalties come in response to Russia's actions in the Kerch Strait, the detention of Ukrainian sailors and the…

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Mueller reveals ‘several ongoing investigations’ in Trump-Russia probe

Robert Mueller has revealed "several" investigations are still ongoing connected to the probe into Russia's interference in the 2016 election of Donald Trump, contradicting widespread reports the process had effectively…

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Photo Story – Space launch preparation at Baikonur Cosmodrom

Tourists watch the installation of the Soyuz booster rocket with Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft being rolled out to the launch pad by train at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, 12 March 2019.…

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Russian oligarchs abandoning the UK in favour of Malta and Cyprus

The Financial Times reports on how Russian oligarchs are feeling the pinch of the fallout between Russian and the United Kingdom due to last year's Skripal poisoning in Salisbury. As…

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Photo Story – End of Winter in Muranovo, Russia

A man climbs on a wooden post as he takes part in competitions during the Maslenitsa celebration, marking the end of winter in Muranovo, outside Moscow, Russia, 09 March 2019.…

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Reports of increased Russian military presence in Libya

Russia has set up two military bases in eastern Libya and hundreds of mercenaries linked to the GRU, the Russian military intelligence, are backing the forces of Khalifa Haftar in…

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Suspicious Russian network with link to Prince Charles exposed

In an exclusive report The Guardian revealed that a charity run by Prince Charles received donations from an offshore company that funneled vast amounts of money from Russia in a…

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UN Security Council to vote on US and Russian resolutions on Venezuela

The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on Thursday on rival U.S. and Russian draft resolutions on Venezuela, diplomats said, with Washington’s proposal calling for free and fair…

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Ukrainian singer Maruv will not represent Ukraine in Eurovision on row about Russia

Ukrainian singer Maruv will not represent her country at the Eurovision Song Contest in May after a row exposing tensions over Russia. Anna Korsun, 27, who goes by the stage…

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Microsoft warns about Russian hacking attempts in Europe

A group of hackers linked to Russia carried out cyberattacks on European political research groups, Microsoft has revealed. Microsoft warned in a blog post on Wednesday that hackers attempted to…

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Russian Foreign Ministry warns of real threat to ISIL in all parts of Libya

“In Libya, including Tripoli, ISIL is increasing its activities, exploiting the collapse of the government and dividing the country, and is strengthening relations with al-Qaeda, which is located near the…

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Inquiry calls for investigation into Russia’s influence on Brexit

A parliamentary inquiry into disinformation has called on the government to investigate the Russian state's attempts to influence the EU referendum. The digital, culture, media and sport committee of MPs…

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Russian flag draped Salisbury Cathedral

A huge Russian flag has appeared draped over the north front of Salisbury Cathedral, causing outrage in the city. The massive tricolour was hung high on scaffolding at the building in the early hours of…

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Third Russian linked with Salisbury poisonings seen in UK and Catalonia before divisive referendums

New details have emerged about a third Russian linked to the 2018 Salisbury poisonings by the investigative website Bellingcat. According to travel records revealed yesterday by Bellingcat and seen by CNN, the…

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Denis Sergeev, high ranking Russian military intelligence officer identified as third suspect in Salisbury poisoning

A third suspect linked to the Salisbury poisoning has been named by an investigative website as Denis Sergeev, a high-ranking Russian military intelligence officer. Bellingcat said Mr Sergeev, 45, is a…

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US and Russia push different Venezuela resolutions at UN Security Council

The US is pushing the UN Security Council to call for fresh presidential elections in Venezuela. Russia has proposed an alternative draft, which shows concern over outside interference in the…

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Reports on hundreds of Russian and Chinese spies in Brussels

The EU's de facto capital is teeming with Russian and Chinese spies, according to officials cited by a German newspaper. Diplomats have reportedly been told to avoid certain eateries in…

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Russia’s withdrawal from Council of Europe might lead to organisation’s end

If Russia withdraws from the Council of Europe, this organization will cease to exist, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said. "If Russia leaves the Council of Europe, there will be…

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Putin announces Russia will abandon nuclear arms treaty – Nuclear missiles will only be is used if USA does so

President Vladimir Putin says that Russia will abandon a centerpiece nuclear arms treaty, following in the footsteps of the United States, and that Moscow will only deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles…

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US announces its withdrawal from Nuclear Treaty

The Trump administration. has announced it is pulling out of a Cold War-era nuclear weapons treaty with Russia, triggering fears of new arms race race between Washington and Moscow. The treaty…

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Evidence gathered during Mueller’s investigations leaked by Russians

Evidence gathered by Robert Mueller, the special counsel, was obtained by Russians and leaked online in an attempt to discredit his inquiry into Moscow’s interference in US politics, prosecutors said…

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Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between Trump’s campaign office and Russia soon over

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between Donald Trump's campaign and Russia in the 2016 presidential election is close to being wrapped up, Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker…

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Canadian and US fighter jets scrambled to intercept two Russian bombers heading for North American coastline

US and Canadian fighter jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian strategic bombers heading for the North American coastline. Two F-22 and two CF-18 jets identified the Russian nuclear-capable aircraft…

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New light on “The Dark Side of The Kremlin” to be revealed in major leak of hacked documents from Russia

A group of transparency advocates on Friday posted a mammoth collection of hacked and leaked documents from inside Russia, a release widely viewed as a sort of symbolic counterstrike against…

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Putin’s trust rating reaches lowest level since 2006

Russia's trust in its President Vladimir Putin has fallen to its lowest level since 2006, falling more than 33 percent, according to a recent poll conducted by the Russian-state Public Opinion Research Center. Confidence…

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Lawyer for a former U.S. marine accused of spying by Russia says his client had been misled

The lawyer for a former U.S. marine accused of spying by Russia said on Tuesday that his client had been misled before his arrest and believed that a thumb drive…

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EU announces new sanctions against Russian and Syrian individuals with links to chemical weapons use and Skripal’s poisoning

The EU has targeted individuals in Syria and Russia with links to chemical weapons attacks. The bloc has been discussing the new sanctions regime since late last year, prompted by…

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Russian court orders that 24 Ukrainian soldiers remain under arrest till trial in April

A court in Moscow has ordered the first four of 24 Ukrainian sailors seized by Russia off the coast of Crimea in November to be held in pre-trial detention until…

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11 Republican senators break ranks with party to side with Democrats on Russian sanctions

A group of 11 Republican senators broke ranks with their leadership and the administration on Tuesday to side with Democrats in a showdown over sanctions on Russia, underscoring the political…

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Trumps denies he ever worked for Russia

President Donald Trump emerged into the frigid air on Monday after a snowy weekend spent indoors and unleashed on the FBI and Democrats after a slew of new reporting on his…

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Manafort accused of sharing Trump campaign polling data with Russian intelligence during 2016 campaign

Paul Manafort shared Trump campaign polling data with an associate tied to Russian intelligence during the 2016 campaign, prosecutors alleged, according to a court filing unsealed on Tuesday. The accusations…

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Diplomatique.Expert recommends : The World in 2019 – Matthew Bugeja

The last few years have been nothing if not eventful on the global stage. Fortunately, there have been, no new major conflicts in the vein of those such as Syria and Ukraine,…

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US citizen detained in Moscow for spying

A US citizen has been detained in Moscow on suspicion of spying, Russia's FSB security service has said. American Paul Whelan was arrested on December 28 in Moscow "while carrying…

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Russia and Turkey to meet and discuss US withdrawal from Syria

Foreign and defence ministers from Russia and Turkey will discuss in Moscow the United States’ decision to withdraw troops from Syria, Russian news agency RIA reported on Saturday, citing Russian…

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Russia dismisses calls by Germany and France for the immediate and unconditional release of 24 Ukrainian sailors detained by Russia

Update : Russia on Saturday dismissed a statement by the leaders of France and Germany accusing it of using military force and carrying out illegitimate checks on Ukrainian vessels in…

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Putin satisfied with new Russian hypersonic missile

Russian President Vladimir Putin has overseen a test of a new hypersonic missile, declaring that the weapon is impossible to intercept and will guarantee the country's security over the coming…

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Ukraine – Europe’s forgotten war

Next year, the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine will enter its fifth year. The conflict has taken 3,000 civilian lives, displaced 1.5 million people and left 3.5 million in need - more…

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Milliband rebukes Putin’s interference in British affairs after the Russian President spoke against a second Brexit referendum

David Miliband has criticised Vladimir Putin after the Russian president spoke out against a second Brexit referendum. Speaking at an annual news conference in Moscow, Mr Putin said: “She must…

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Friday Morning Briefing

Good morning, Your daily morning briefing gives you a roundup of the salient news from around the world and a review of Malta's newspaper front-pages stories. Start Your Day Informed…

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Not just Facebook – How Russian influence weaponised social media during 2016 US elections

On Monday, the Senate Intelligence Committee released a pair of sweeping reports illuminating how effectively Russian influence operations weaponized social media during the 2016 presidential election, targeting groups like African-Americans, evangelical Christians…

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