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Russia

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Russia. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Moscow

Head of State

President Vladimir Putin

Head of Government

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin

last updated:

29 November, 2024

A suspect in the killing of Russian general Igor Kirillov arrives at a court in Moscow on December 19. Photo: Reuters

Ukraine

Russia foils Ukrainian plots to kill senior military officers in Moscow

The Federal Security Service said four Russians were detained in connection with the planned attacks using bombs disguised as power banks.

2 hours agovideocam

Marine safety

Russia says ‘terrorist attack’ behind cargo ship sinking in Mediterranean

26 Dec 2024 - 8:53AM

Middle East

Wife of Syria’s Assad badly ill, has 50-50 chance of surviving, reports say

3 hours agovideocam

US-China relations

Opinion | 2024 shows US-China tensions no longer the biggest story

Unrestrained regional powers jostling for control, building weapons and taking bolder risks are influencing trajectory of world politics.

26 Dec 2024 - 8:35AMvideocam

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives to meet US President Joe Biden at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Lima, Peru, on November 16. Photo: AFP

Fame and celebrity

21 celebrities who died in 2024, from O.J. Simpson to Liam Payne

Also among those who passed away this year are The Shining actress Shelley Duvall, dissident Alexei Navalny, and Tito Jackson of the Jackson 5.

26 Dec 2024 - 5:00AM

Nordic nations

Finland investigates outage of undersea power link to Estonia

‘The possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out,’ Fingrid control room manager Arto Pahki said.

26 Dec 2024 - 12:20AMvideocam

Aviation accidents

Azerbaijani plane crashes in Kazakhstan, killing 38 and injuring 29

The aircraft, which was carrying 67 people, was diverted from an area of Russia that Moscow recently defended against Ukrainian drones.

5 hours agovideocam

A drone view shows the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan. Photo: Reuters

Ukraine war

Zelensky condemns Russia’s ‘inhumane’ Christmas attack on energy grid

Massive strikes rattle Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson where one person was killed.

25 Dec 2024 - 5:41PMvideocam

Ukraine war

Ukraine war: Zelensky thanks China for supporting territorial integrity

Ukraine urges China to leverage influence and ‘a strong voice’ regarding participation of North Korean soldiers in conflict: statement.

24 Dec 2024 - 8:15PMvideocam

Ukraine war

Russian cargo ship sinks in Mediterranean after blast, 2 missing

The ship, Ursa Major, owned by Oboronlogistika, was carrying two giant port cranes and was en route to Vladivostok.

24 Dec 2024 - 7:27PM

Russian cargo ship Ursa Major transits the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo: Reuters

Ukraine war

Russia’s overheated economy is squeezing one of its key China trading channels

Investment in Russia’s railways is to be slashed by nearly a third, complicating trade with China, state media reported.

24 Dec 2024 - 3:52AM

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, left, and China’s President Xi Jinping in front of the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square, Beijing in May. Photo: Pool / AFP / Getty Images / TNS

Ukraine war

North Korea suffers more than 3,000 casualties fighting for Russia: Zelensky

South Korea said earlier on Monday that around 1,100 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded since entering combat this month.

24 Dec 2024 - 4:08AM

TikTok ban

Trump favours keeping TikTok in US after ‘billions of views’ during election

US president-elect offers strongest signals yet that he opposes a potential exit of TikTok from the US market.

23 Dec 2024 - 3:14PMvideocam

Vladimir Putin

Putin meets Slovakia’s Fico, in rare visit to Russia by an EU leader

The leaders discussed the future of Russian natural gas deliveries, and the conflict in Ukraine.

23 Dec 2024 - 1:40PM

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Sputnik via AP

Xi Jinping

Opinion | Trump wants China’s Xi at his inauguration – to help broker peace in Ukraine?

The US president-elect’s unusual invitation to Xi Jinping came after he’d said ‘China can help’ end the Ukraine war.

22 Dec 2024 - 10:00AMvideocam

US president-elect President Donald Trump has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to his inauguration in Washington on January 20. Photo: AP

India

Crude and clout: unpacking the US$13 billion India-Russia oil deal

Analysts suggest New Delhi wants to avoid being eclipsed by Beijing as Russia increasingly relies on China amid a changing world order.

21 Dec 2024 - 3:30PM

Hong Kong economy

Letters | Why Southeast Asia is a better bet for Hong Kong tourism

Readers discuss the lacklustre recovery in tourism, why Hongkongers are being lured to KK Park in Myanmar, and the battle for the Global South.

21 Dec 2024 - 11:30AM

United States

Outside In | Does Trump’s tariff-happy team realise China is playing weiqi, not chess?

Much depends on how successfully Trump seduces leaders away from multilateral rule-making and how firmly China resists the siren call of bilateralism.

21 Dec 2024 - 8:05AMvideocam

US president-elect Donald Trump speaking at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, US, on December 16. Photo: Reuters

Ukraine war

Ukraine capital hit by Russian missiles after cyberattack

The barrage came hours after Putin said he is willing to meet with US president-elect Trump, who has said he wants to end the war.

20 Dec 2024 - 8:34PMvideocam

Ukraine war

North Korean soldiers take selfie on Ukraine battlefield

20 Dec 2024 - 6:33PM

China-EU relations

EU finds pursuit of unity hampered by war, trade threats and Trump factor

‘Everyone talks about unity, but actually everybody is out to get the best deal for themselves and to avoid the absolute worst’: diplomat.

20 Dec 2024 - 2:39PMvideocam

European leaders met to discuss strengthening regional cooperation and partnerships at the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Brussels on December 18 . Photo: EPA-EFE

Japan

Japanese ‘trainspotters’ detained in Belarus for spying spark tensions

One expert believes the arrests highlight Belarus’s paranoia near its border with Ukraine.

20 Dec 2024 - 9:30AM

Cargo containers on freight train in Minsk, Belarus. Photo: Shutterstock Images

Vladimir Putin

Putin says Russia is ready to compromise with Trump on Ukraine war

Putin also said he was ready to organise another missile launch at Ukraine and see if Western air defence systems could shoot it down.

19 Dec 2024 - 8:48PM

United States

Opinion | How Biden’s memos can ensure continuity in US foreign policy under Trump

For the sake of national security, transition memos must offer a real road map on key specific foreign policy challenges, like the ones Bush did for Obama.

19 Dec 2024 - 8:30PMvideocam

Science

‘China is in a good phase’: award-winning neuroscientist on why he left Europe

Nikos Logothetis from the International Centre for Primate Brain Research in Shanghai becomes first non-Russian to receive the award.

19 Dec 2024 - 5:16PMvideocam

Nikos Logothetis was director of cognitive processes at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Germany before moving to China. Photo: Getty Images

Ukraine war

Seoul lawmaker says at least 100 North Korean troops killed in Ukraine war

Lee Seong-kweun said about 1,000 troops also injured in Kursk as they lack drone warfare experience.

19 Dec 2024 - 5:37PMvideocam

A Russian rocket launcher fires towards Ukrainian position at an undisclosed location on December 18. Photo: Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP

Hong Kong

Editorial | Cooperate to tackle Hong Kong money laundering

US allegations against Hong Kong are not only misguided but also counterproductive to battling a crime that recognises no borders.

19 Dec 2024 - 6:15AM

Diplomacy

Opinion | China should seize the moment to promote peace on Korean peninsula

The weakening of the Russia-North Korea alliance, political change in South Korea and Trump’s return create a conducive environment for denuclearisation talks.

19 Dec 2024 - 6:00AMvideocam

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