Russia

Tuesday’s Morning Briefing – 22nd May, 2018

Good morning Hazy morning in Malta. The overcast seems to stay throughout the day, even though temperatures should reach 21 degrees (C). Our morning round up follows. Today’s Malta's newspapers…

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UK : Russian ‘dirty’ money is damaging our economy – MPs

Britain’s Foreign Affairs Committee released a report today (May 21) detailing how the UK has been a major beneficiary of Russian money since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, and…

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Chelsea’s Abramovich visa renewal delayed amidst UK-Russia tensions

Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich UK visa renewal has met delays. The issue was highlighted because he was unable to attend the FA Cup final on Saturday in which…

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Obituary – Former Maltese Ambassador Dr. Joseph Cassar passes away

Seasoned Maltese diplomat Dr. Joseph Cassar passed away. Born in 1947, Dr Cassar served as Malta's Ambassador to Portugal, Libya, the Russian Federation and Italy. He served as, Malta's permanent…

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Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin meet

Germany has a strategic interest in good relations with Russia. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said this following meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meetings focused on Syria, the conflict…

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Salisbury poisoned agent leaves hospital

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, whose poisoning with a nerve agent in the UK triggered a diplomatic crisis with Russia, has been discharged from a British hospital. The 66-year-old, a former colonel in Russia's…

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Vladimir Putin meets Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad on Thursday and said their "military success" in Syria allowed for a large-scale "political process" leading to the withdrawal of foreign…

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Ukraine expresses its anger as Putin inaugurates bridge to the Crimean Peninsula.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has opened the country's newly built bridge to the annexed Crimean Peninsula, driving a truck across the span and drawing angry condemnation from Kyiv and the…

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Potential motive for Salisbury poisioning

Attack victim Sergei Skripal gave briefings to European intelligence in the past years, reports say. The former Russian spy who moved to Britain was targeted by a nerve agent and…

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Netanyahu indicates Moscow won’t curtail Israeli strikes in Syria

Wrapping up a whirlwind visit to Moscow, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday evening said he has no reason to believe the Kremlin will attempt to limit Israel’s freedom of…

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Reactions to Trump’s announcement on withdrawal from Iran’s nuclear deal

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he is deeply concerned by the US decision to withdraw from Iran nuclear deal, and calls on all other parties to fully abide by…

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Putin takes oath of office

Vladimir Putin took the oath of office for his fourth term as Russian president on Monday and promised to pursue an economic agenda that would boost living standards across the…

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Anti-Putin rallies in Russia

More than 1,600 people — including prominent opposition leader Alexei Navalny — were arrested Saturday in Russia during a day of nationwide protests of the upcoming inauguration of Vladimir Putin…

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Mueller raised possibility of ordering Trump to appear before a Grand Jury – The Washington Post

The Washington Post reports that "In a tense meeting in early March with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, President Trump’s lawyers insisted he had no obligation to talk with federal investigators probing…

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UK – The Sunday Times reveals study showing Russian bots influencing the General Election by promoting Jeremy Corbyn

The Sunday Times said an investigation it conducted in conjunction with Swansea University had identified 6,500 Russian accounts tweeting supportive messages for Labour and denigrating the Conservatives. It said that many of…

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Russian, Turkish and Iranian Foreign Ministers to meet on April 28

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold bilateral talks with the Iranian and Turkish counterparts, Javad Zarif and Mevlut Cavusoglu, as well as three-party talks in Moscow on April 28,…

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Oil prices are artificially Very High! – Trump

"Looks like OPEC is at it again," he wrote. "With record amounts of oil all over the place, including the fully loaded ships at sea, Oil prices are artificially Very…

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US: Democrats file a lawsuit against Russian government, WikiLeaks and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign

The Democratic Party in the USA has filed a lawsuit against the Russian government, WikiLeaks and Donald Trump's presidential campaign that says they conspired to interfere with the 2016 U.S.…

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Ofcom investigating RT

The United Kingdom launched an investigation on a series of programmes aired by Russian TV, RT. Ofcom is in fact examining instances where Kremlin-backed news channel potentially breached UK broadcast…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Russia to allow OPCW inspectors in Douma

Russia said that chemical weapons inspectors in Syria will be permitted to visit the site of an alleged chemical attack, on Wednesday. A representative of Russia's military said late Monday…

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Air Strikes on Syria. What we know so far UPDATED

US President Trump ordered a military attack against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday, joining allies Britain and France in launching missile strikes in retaliation for what Western nations said…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Berlusconi weighs in his view on Italy’s position

In a letter published on Sunday's edition of Il Corriere Della Sera, Silvio Berlusconi said that faced with a complex and dramatic situation such as that which has been determined…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Pope Francis urges common action

In his first comments since the missile attacks on Syria by the United States, Britain and France, Pope Francis said on Sunday, April 15, that he is deeply disturbed by…

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Air Strikes on Syria – New Push in UN to end Syria’s chemical weapons

CNN reports that the United States, the United Kingdom and France are pushing for an "irreversible" end to Syria's chemical weapons program, amid furious recriminations from Russia over the effectiveness…

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Syria – The Why, Who, and How of an 8 year conflict

Now having gone on longer than World War II, the war in Syria is causing profound effects beyond the country's borders, with many Syrians having left their homes to seek…

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Russia threats dirty campaign against Britain’s elite

The Sunday Times reports that Russia threats to wage dirty campaign against Britain’s elite Spy chiefs are braced for a Russian revenge attack in which Kremlin-backed hackers release embarrassing information…

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Air Strikes on Syria – France publishes declassified intelligence report

In a rather unprecedented move, one of the allies which took part in last night's air strikes on Syria, published the intelligence reports on the basis of which decisions were…

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Air Strikes on Syria – What was hit

Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters three sites were targeted: A scientific research centre in Damascus. A chemical weapons storage facility, located west of…

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Air Strikes on Syria – NATO to meet later on today

CNN reports that following the trilateral airstrikes launched in Syria, a meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) will be held Saturday afternoon, a NATO official tells CNN. France, the United…

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Air Strikes on Syria. Vladimir Putin’s reaction

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced a strike on Syria launched by the US and its allies as an "act of aggression" that will exacerbate humanitarian catastrophe in Syria. In a statement…

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Air Strikes on Syria – United Nations reaction

Following the air strikes on Syria, Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations released the following statement. I have been following closely the reports of air strikes in Syria conducted…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Russian Foreign Ministry reaction

Syrian News Agency SANA reports that the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday that the aggression on Syria targeted a sovereign state that has tried to return…

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Air Strikes on Syria : Russia’s reaction

Statement by the Ambassador of Russia to the USA Anatoly Antonov on the strikes on Syria and posted on Facebook: The worst apprehensions have come true. Our warnings have been left…

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May : I have done this in Britain’s national interest

UK Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed she had ordered British armed forces to conduct "co-ordinated and targeted strikes to degrade the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capability and deter their use".…

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Moscow Times : Russian Media gives ‘war time’ tips

The Moscow Times: A Russian television channel has instructed viewers to stock up on food and water in case a war breaks out with the United States, playing on fears…

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The latest on UK stance on Syria as reported on SkyNews and Russia Today

Sky News reports that Jeremy Corbyn has demanded MPs be given a vote in Parliament to authorise potential military action in Syria. The Labour leader insisted the House of Commons…

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Facebook – Redefining the arms race

Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook chief executive, warned on Tuesday of an online propaganda “arms race” with Russia and vowed that fighting interference in elections around the world is now his…

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Russia 2018 : To be or not to be. That is the question !

Diplomatique.Expert member Charles Camenzuli writes about boycotts in the 88 year history of the World Cup. 2014 was an Olympic year for Russia with Sochi hosting the Winter Olympics. Post…

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More US sanctions against Putin’s men

The United States announced more sanctions against Russia. In contrast to sanctions issued in March, against Russian hackers and intelligence agencies, those announced Friday attack the wealth of some of…

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Russia loses vote at OPCW on Salisbury

Russia has lost a vote at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons on it attempt top seek a new joint investigation into Salisbury poisoning, Reuters is reporting. An unnamed…

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Russia and UK’s future foreign policies post Salisbury

Sergei Scripal’s and his daughter’s poisoning came as a bolt out of the blue, barely a week before Russia’ deadweight presidential election. Russia has been adopting an emboldened projection of…

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Balkans : It is open hunting season on independent thinkers

POLITICO reports that in the Balkans the West is fighting back against Russia in a battle for influence in the Balkans. But although the European Union has renewed its interest…

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European diplomatic solidarity with the UK despite BREXIT

Malta yesterday recalled its ambassador in Russia. It wasn't the only country to do so. There were also a number of countries which expelled the Russian diplomats from their country.…

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Malta recalls its ambassador to Russia

In the context of the Salisbury attack, the Government of Malta stands in full solidarity with the United Kingdom in the face of this serious challenge to our common security.…

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