Absence of China in summit raises questions over point of event, which Russia dismissed as ‘futile’. World leaders are gathering in Switzerland for a summit aimed at pressuring Russia to end its war in Ukraine, but the absence of powerful allies of Moscow such as China is expected to blunt its potential impact. United States … Read more
An unusually strong solar storm hitting Earth produced stunning displays of colour in the skies across the Northern Hemisphere early on Saturday, with no immediate reports of disruptions to power and communications. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning when a solar outburst reached Earth on Friday afternoon, … Read more
The wife of Gordon Black, the American soldier detained on theft charges in Russia, said he traveled there because he was having an affair and was not involved in “geopolitical intrigue.” Megan Black is in the process of divorcing her husband and called on Russian authorities through a statement from her attorney, Brett Pritchard, to … Read more
Russia’s May 9 parade marks the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II and has become the country’s most important public holiday. In a speech in Moscow’s Red Square before thousands of soldiers, President Vladimir Putin praised his army fighting in Ukraine and accused “Western elites” of fomenting conflicts around the world. … Read more
The addition of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Kremlin’s “wanted list” shows “the desperation of the Russian state machine and propaganda,” Ukraine’s ministry of foreign affairs wrote in a statement Saturday. The list is an online database of those the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs accuses of being criminals. Russia reportedly said the Ukrainian leader was … Read more
When Moscow resident Zoya, 62, was planning a trip to Italy to visit her daughter last August, she saw the perfect opportunity to buy the Apple Watch she had long dreamed of owning. Officially, Apple does not sell its products in Russia. The California-based tech giant was one of the first companies to announce it … Read more
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Thursday mocked a scheduled round of Ukraine peace talks in Switzerland, warning that Moscow will not accept any enforced plans that ignore its interests. Switzerland’s government said Wednesday it will host a high-level international conference in June to help chart a path toward peace in Ukraine after … Read more
Authorities warn of dangerous water levels on the Ural river and open an investigation into the dam breach. Russia said it has evacuated more than 4,000 people in the Orenburg region near the Kazakhstan border due to flooding after a dam burst. The Orenburg governor’s office said on Saturday that “4,208 people, including 1,019 children” … Read more
Geoff Bennett: For the last decade, American diplomatic law enforcement and intelligence personnel have suffered grievous, often life-altering injuries in the line of duty. No guns or bombs or rockets were involved. Many say they felt attacked by sound. That’s debilitating waves of sound and pressure that have left them with traumatic brain injuries, vertigo … Read more
A landslide in Russia’s Amur region pinned the miners more than 120 metres underground. Russian emergency services have called a halt to an operation to rescue 13 men trapped in a gold mine in the far east of the country. The operator of the Pioneer gold mine announced the decision on Monday, two weeks after … Read more